SC summons Ishaq Dar over Senate nomination papers’ approval

The Supreme Court (SC) has summoned former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar over a petition that challenged Lahore High Court's (LHC) decision in allowing him to contest for the Senate elections.

According to local media reports, the three-judge bench, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar took up the case on Monday. The CJP said the accountability court had declared Dar a proclaimed offender and that the petitioner has raised an important question.

The court has appointed Babar Sattar amicus in this case and adjourned the hearing to March 21.

In the Senate elections held on March 3, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz's (PML-N) leader Dar won a technocrat seat. In today's Senate session, Dar was the only Senator who did not take oath as he is in London.

Ishaq Dar’s Senate nomination challenged in SC

On March 9, a petition was filed by Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Nawazish Pirzada, in which he asked the SC to suspend the LHC's order that allowed Dar to contest for the Senate election. The petitioner said that Dar had been declared as a proclaimed offender by an accountability court and therefore, he could not be elected as a Senate member.

Dar has been absconding his corruption hearing since last year and is currently in London for his treatment. The National Accountability Bureau has filed corruption reference against Dar for owing assets beyond his known source of income, after the Panama Papers revelation.