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Sunday, March 17, 2024

Accountability court issues non-bailable arrest warrant for Ishaq Dar

News Analysis |

The accountability court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in addition to issuing a show-cause notice to his surety giver.

Dar’s counsel informed the accountability court on Tuesday that Dar will not be able to appear in front of the court for another six weeks, and a petition for a leader who shall appear on his behalf has been filed. Khawaja Haris, Dar’s counsel, requested the court to let Faisal Mufti advocate appear on behalf of Dar during his absence.

Read more: Will NAB court continue to ignore DAR’s delaying tactics?

However, judge of the anti-graft court refused to accept the stance of Dar’s counsel and issued the non-bailable arrest warrant for the Finance Minister.

Dar is in the midst of real trouble according to people closely following the developments in the case.

On November 2, Dar’s junior counsel, Ayesha Hamid who appeared in court in the absence of the main counsel, Khawaja Harris, submitted a medical report from a foreign hospital that states the finance minister is ill and “cannot stand for more than four minutes.” The report further suggests that Dar is facing heart palpitations.

On 8th November 2017, the anti-graft court ordered finance minister Ishaq Dar’s surety-giver to appear in court in person while also ensuring Dar appears before the court on November 14th. Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir while issuing a warning to Dar’s surety-giver said that the court would confiscate surety bonds -worth Rs. 5 million – if they failed to appear before the court.

How Dar left Pakistan?

According to a government official, who requested not to be named, almost two weeks ago Ishaq Dar requested Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s permission to attend an economic conference in a Central Asian country. After getting the green signal, Ishaq Dar used the Prime Minister’s protocol to reach the airport, from where he embarked for Central Asia. Instead of returning to Pakistan, Dar landed in a London hospital.

Read more: Has Sharif family abandoned Ishaq Dar?

Dar left the country despite the fact that he had already been indicted and the court hearings against him were pending. Moreover, Dar did not take permission from the court before leaving the country.

The accountability court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in addition to issuing a show-cause notice to his surety giver.

Dar is in the midst of real trouble according to people closely following the developments in the case. It is also noteworthy to mention that the party’s singular focus on defending Nawaz Sharif has resulted in lackluster support for Dar. Watchers believe that he is fighting the battle alone. While Nawaz Sharif has seemingly rolled his sleeves for a showdown, it would be interesting to see how Dar exonerates himself, that too without much support. Reportedly, Dar’s actions have further strained his relations with PM Abbasi who, according to sources, wants Dar removed from his position as a Finance Minister, but has so far not done so due to Nawaz Sharif’s pressure.