ISLAMABAD: Former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s lawyer on Saturday challenged the accountability court’s issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants for him in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The petition, filed by Dar’s lawyer Qausain Faisal Mufti in the IHC, also challenged the accountability court’s declaring Dar an absconder. The petition requested that Dar be exempted from appearing in court due to his poor health. The petition said that before he fell ill, he had appeared in court. The petition asked the IHC to allow someone else to represent the former finance minister in court so the accountability trial against him could proceed. The accountability court judge, investigation officer and National Accountability Bureau Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal were made respondents in the petition. Non-bailable arrest warrants were issued for Dar on Nov 14. On Nov 21, the accountability court declared Dar an absconder and warned his guarantor Ahmed Ali Qadoosi that his surety bonds worth Rs5 million would be confiscated if the minister did not join the trial proceedings. The guarantor, however, requested the court to grant extra time, so the court adjourned the matter for Dec 4. Earlier this week, NAB pasted a proclamation against Dar asking him to surrender by Dec 4 as directed by the accountability court after his guarantor hinted that he might be back within the month. The notice was also pasted at Dar’s residences and he was warned of legal consequences if he continued to abscond.
Published in Daily Times, December 3rd 2017.
