Case against Dar and others: Counsel for three co-accused urges court to defer judgment

ISLAMABAD: The counsel for three co-accused in a corruption case against former finance minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday again requested the court to defer its judgment on acquittal applications of the three co-accused as the key accused Dar has decided to return back to Pakistan from the UK.

The same court on December 10, 2017 had declared Dar the main accused as proclaimed offender for continuously remaining absent during court proceedings. The court indicted the three co-accused including former President National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Rizvi two directors of Dar’s companies on April 4, 2018.

The Accountability Court-I judge, Muhammad Bashir, while hearing the case against Dar and others for holding assets beyond means approved the defence counsel’s request and adjourned hearing. Afzal Qureshi prosecutor National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Investigation Officer (IO) Nadir Abbas and Qazi Misbah counsel for co-accused appeared before the court.

At the start of the hearing, the counsel of the co-accused Qazi Misbah told the court that the main accused is returning to Pakistan and if he returns then proceedings of the case will be changed. He requested the court that the case may be adjourned and it do not announce its judgment on acquittal application of the co-accused.

The defence counsel also did not present its final arguments before the court regarding the acquittal applications of the co-accused. He will present the final arguments during the next hearing.

The three co-accused who were nominated in the supplementary reference filed against Dar by the NAB, had challenged the reference under the National Accountability (second and third amendment) ordinances 2021. The court adjourned the hearing of case till May 11.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022