Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Saqib Nisar on Tuesday questioned Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s whereabouts while referring to a case regarding his nomination papers for Senate Elections.

Earlier, Pakistan Peoples’ Party’s (PPP) candidate Nawazish Pirzada had filed a request at the Supreme Court (SC) to suspend Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) verdict allowing Dar to contest Senate elections. Now that Dar succeeded in bagging the senate seat even in his absence, CJP remarked that the court had summoned Dar but he wasn’t here. Nisar questioned where Dar was and whether he could appear before the court today or tomorrow.

In response, Dar’s counsel Salman Aslam Butt said that Dar is suffering from ailment and under treatment in London. Nisar in response argued that such a sickness could not last for that long.

Nisar ordered the counsel to settle on a date when Dar can be presented in the court even if he needs protective bail.

Previously, Dar’s counsel had submitted a reply to the SC on the issue of contesting Senate Elections while the contestant was not present in Pakistan, stating that as per the 18^th Amendment there was no provision under law and constitution that barred an absentee from contesting elections.

The writ petition filed was found non maintainable as Article 63 of the Constitution states no prohibition on a person declared an absconder to contest the Senate elections. Thus the petition was dismissed, as Dar’s case didn’t come under the scope of qualification or disqualification under the constitution.

On February 17, an appellate election tribunal of Lahore High Court had granted Dar permission to contest in the Senate Elections, as Dar’s nomination papers were previously rejected by the returning officer.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed supplementary references against Senator Ishaq Dar last year over alleged misappropriation of declared assets contradicting to his income sources amounting Rs. 831.678 million, following the Panama papers case verdict.

The finance minister due to ailment and ongoing treatment in London had been granted a three-month leave by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.  Dar has been declared a proclaimed offender by the court for failing to appear before the court.