Assets beyond means: Accountability court summons Ishaq Dar on October 10

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: After the NAB amendments were revoked by the Supreme Court, a reference for assets beyond means was opened against former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

An accountability court in Islamabad summoned former finance minister Ishaq Dar on October 10 and issued his summons.

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir issued the orders.

After the enactment of National Accountability Ordinance (Amend), the accountability court had closed the case against Dar.

However, the record of the case against Dar was still in the accountability court.

On Sept 15, the Supreme Court ordered to restore corruption cases against public representatives as it struck down some sections of the amendments made to the country’s accountability laws last year by the previous coalition government.

In an amendment, the government had inserted a minimum pecuniary jurisdiction of Rs500 million and the NAB could not take cognisance of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices involving less than Rs500m.

The 55-page detailed judgement restored all inquiries, investigations and references that were disposed of based on the now struck-down sections of NAO to their positions before the amendments, and thus deemed to be pending before relevant forums.

Following the removal of Rs500 million pecuniary limitation, the accountability watchdog also wrote to the Federal Investi­gation Agency, anti-corruption departments in all provinces, banking courts, and the police to return all cases to the watchdog which were referred to these departments following the new amendments that barred the NAB from taking up cases involving less than Rs500 million.

The top court virtually reopened about 1,800 closed cases; however, the cases already settled or disposed of will not be opened by the accountability watchdog.