Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, on Thursday, directed the officials to ensure Ishaq Dar’s return to Pakistan within ten days.

Dar, a former senator and finance minister of Pakistan, has been in London since October last year on account of his medical treatment and has been declared an absconder in the corruption case against him.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) resumed hearing of the case pertaining to the summons issued to Dar. The interior secretary, foreign secretary, director general National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other related officials were present in court.

“Where are NAB officials? What has NAB done up till now to bring back Dar?” inquired the CJP. The apex court then issued the directives to take measures which would ensure the absconder’s return to Pakistan in ten days.

During the hearing, the CJP asked if Dar’s passport was to be cancelled; can he continue to live in the Britain? The additional attorney general responded that the absconder could take asylum in the said country in case of the cancellation of his passport. “If this is the case then he must take asylum there and cite the reason that Pakistani courts are being unfair,” remarked the CJP.

“The court is upset at the fact that Dar has repeatedly ignored the summons,” Justice Nisar said.

The top judge further inquired the measures taken by the current government to bring back Dar.

Responding to the query, the additional attorney general informed the apex court that NAB had declared Dar an absconder. “NAB has also referred the matter to Interpol,” he said.

A NAB officer, present at the hearing, stated that the anti-graft bureau had already written a letter to the Ministry of Interior for the issuance of a red warrant.

“The man is roaming around on the streets of London but unwilling to come back home when the court summons him. He cites his ailment as the reason of failure to return to Pakistan and he is unwilling to act upon the court’s orders,” the CJP remarked.

The additional attorney general then presented a report before the court regarding the cancellation of Dar’s passport.

Issuing an order to all the relevant departments to consult on the matter, the CJP adjourned the hearing till September 11.

The former finance minister is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income. A reference against Dar was filed by the NAB in the light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

Dar had earlier been declared a proclaimed offender by the accountability court due to his continuous absence from the proceedings. In November 2017, the then-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had accepted Dar’s request to be relieved of his duties as the finance minister.

Published in Daily Times, September 7^th 2018.