AC closes assets beyond means case against Dar

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: An accountability court has closed assets beyond known sources of income case against Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and other accused. A case was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in December 2017 against Dar, accusing him of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.
The verdict was reserved by the court on Monday after the completion of the arguments from both the sides. AC Judge Muhammad Bashir while announcing the reserved verdict said that they cannot hear the assets case against Ishaq Dar and other accused after the recent amendments in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.
He remarked that “We can neither announce a decision in favour of NAB nor can we issue a decision in favour of the suspect. The trial against Ishaq Dar ends here.” The court has sent back the reference to NAB. The details verdict in the case will be released later, Judge Muhammad Bashir remarked after announcing the short order.
Earlier, an accountability court (AC) granted a one-day exemption from court appearance to Finance Minister Dar in the assets beyond means case. Reference against Ishaq Dra, Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mahmood and Mansoor Raza Rizvi was filed in 2017. During the trial of the case statements of 42 witnesses were recorded. Ishaq Dar left the country in November 2017 on the pretext of seeking medical treatment in London. Finance minister Ishaq Dar had earlier been declared a proclaimed offender by the accountability court (AC) due to his continuous absence from the proceedings.