Lawyer asks court to suspend process of declaring Ishaq Dar proclaimed offender

An accountability court resumed on Monday the hearing against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar regarding corruption references filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

As the hearing began, Dar's counsel requested the court to delay the process of declaring Dar a proclaimed offender until next week. The counsel had submitted Dar’s medical report to the bench hearing the case, but the bench rejected the medical report and asked him to submit a verified report, local media reported.

Dar's counsel told Judge Muhammad Bashir that he will submit to the court the medical report containing Dar’s diagnosis next week and that the process of declaring his client an offender should be suspended. The court has adjourned the hearing till December 11.

Court warns to declare Ishaq Dar proclaimed offender

Dar who is in London for his medical treatment has repeatedly failed to appear before the court for his corruption hearing filed by NAB. Today, the court is expected to declare Dar a proclaimed offender as his ten day deadline to appear before the court today expires.

At the last hearing on November 29, a notice, dated November 21, was pasted outside the accountability court warning Dar to appear before the court within 10 days or he will be declared a proclaimed offender. In case he still failed to appear on December 4 (today), the expiry date of the 10-day period, the court will likely declare him a proclaimed offender, the notice read.

The court had also warned his guarantors of the confiscation of surety bonds worth Rs5 million if Dar again failed to appear before the court.