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ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry informed the Supreme Court on Saturday that red warrants had been issued to bring former finance minister Ishaq Dar back to the country.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken up the matter of Mr Dar’s repeated absence from hearings despite being given several directions.
The attorney general also told the court that the cancellation of Mr Dar’s passport would be used as an alternative option if he continued to refuse to return to Pakistan.
Take a look: The insider: Ishaq Dar
He said the interior ministry on a request of the Federal Investigation Agency had issued red warrants and was now waiting for a reply from Interpol. The court was also informed that Mr Dar’s properties in Pakistan had been forfeited.
Mr Dar’s presence had been sought by the Supreme Court in a suo motu case regarding the appointment of playwright and columnist Ataul Haq Qasmi as chairman of the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) on a hefty package. Mr Qasmi was looking after the affairs of PTV after the three-year contract of former managing director Mohammad Malick expired on Feb 26, 2016. Mr Dar was asked to come to the court and explain why Mr Qasmi had been appointed to the prized post at such a hefty salary.
Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2018
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Comments (50) Closed
Jul 15, 2018 09:02am
It is highly unlikely that Interpol would pay serious attention to red warrant request from Pakistan government. Dar may apply for political assylum and considering political condition in Pakistan, his request will be entertained.
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Jul 15, 2018 09:04am
Perfect. Confiscate their properties and try to bring them back along with the looted wealth, without any discrimination, party affiliation or status. Please ensure across the board accountability. Our survival depends upon justice and corruption free Pakistan
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Jul 15, 2018 09:15am
Can attorney general just name a single property of Dar in Pakistan which has been forfeited? These are just statements for public consumption with no substance.
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Jul 15, 2018 09:16am
Bring this crook back asap!
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Jul 15, 2018 10:19am
PM, CM, DM, FM all are ran to abroad post corruption. And it's mockery that same party is contesting election. Poor Pakistanis.. they need a new intellectual party
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Jul 15, 2018 10:42am
All governmental action shows that they are not serious about holding the privileged corrupt class accountable. Why not cancel his CNIC and the passport immediately? Where is the inquiry of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who as prime minter unlawfully allowed him to escape in the public owned airplane? Shahid Khaqan should be in jail and should not be allowed to run for a public office since he has violated the public trust. Fellow citizens, do expect any justice
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Jul 15, 2018 11:15am
That's it? What about his wealth vs his earned income, I was under the impression that the court was going to issue the red warrant due to corruption and his refusal to show up for the hearings.
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Jul 15, 2018 11:43am
What about Musharraf? His case is much stronger and older?
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Jul 15, 2018 11:53am
Red warrants!! Is there any agreement between UK and Pakistan to exchange criminals??
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Jul 15, 2018 12:14pm
Countries, like France, Great Britain, have given asylum to thieves, with stolen vast amount money and its very hard to extradite them.
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Jul 15, 2018 12:24pm
Ishaq Dar is likely the mastermind behind all the offshore companies, foreign bank accounts, money transers from Pakistan by the Sharif family, abusing power, cooking the books, theft, plunder of national treasury, forgery, fraud and lying to the publc and the courts.'
Exactly why NS appointed him his Finance Minister every time he came to power. The nation is deeper in debt and the treasury is empty due to lack of foreign reserves and debt service due to Dar's incompetence and fiddling!
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Jul 15, 2018 01:11pm
How about gen mussharaf
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Jul 15, 2018 01:30pm
Have they thought through the consequences of this action? Do they really want an English court to examine this matter?
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Jul 15, 2018 01:43pm
Is this a joke or what....it has.been more than a year now for this criminal to be absconder... enjoying his life in upscale of London....and here in Pakistan...we are now talking of what steps have been taken to bring him back...is this how the law works for etile so called criminals..If yes then the whole nation is sorry for the entire state of affairs..
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Jul 15, 2018 01:58pm
Unfortunately this has been the result of almost all appointments done at the helm of pmln stalwarts. Pick any high end post and one would find nepotism/favouritism instead of meritocracy. Readers can point out do i have proof that even a single penny's worth of corruption has been 'proven'? Reality is, when such practices are carried out grossly, we end up with state owned institutions like PIA, Steel Mills, WAPDA, FBR etc. It is pertinent to mention that all these institutions were profit making entities nearly a decade ago. What proof do we need, an official statement from world bank, IMF that Pakistan is bankrupt?
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Jul 15, 2018 01:59pm
Why is Musharraf being deprived of this warrant?
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Jul 15, 2018 02:09pm
Hold former PM responsible for taking him out of the country in his official plane.
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Jul 15, 2018 03:14pm
Bring him back. Confiscate all his properties and let him rot in jail.
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Jul 15, 2018 04:41pm
@Truth is truth:
How have you formed your opinion can come to this conclusion?
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Jul 15, 2018 04:41pm
Wait a second. Let’s ask them the status of Benazir Bhutto’s murder and Altaf Hussain’s money laundering case first. Interpol operates under influence of big power!
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Jul 15, 2018 05:10pm
What about red warrants for Musharraf
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Jul 15, 2018 05:13pm
What about his role in money laundering .
That charge would more appropriate for Interpol to act rather than an appointment of a bureaucrat .
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Jul 15, 2018 05:21pm
What about Altaf,Musharraf Shoukat Aziz and others fugitives.
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Jul 15, 2018 05:22pm
That man ran Pakistan's economy for years. Or should I say destroyed for years?
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Jul 15, 2018 05:23pm
This man should never have been allowed to leave Pakistan. He was working machine behind the PML-N corruption schemes.
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Jul 15, 2018 05:28pm
Stop political persecution of PML.
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Jul 15, 2018 05:58pm
Dar is a canyon between the law and Shahbaz Sharif.
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Jul 15, 2018 06:05pm
Pakistan should tell all countries who voted to put Pakistan on FATF grey list for money laundering and terrorist finanacing, he was the finanace minister and he is wanted for money laundering in Pakistan. You want us to clean our house, help us get him back along with the money, then Nawaz's move on to Zardari's one after the other, house of cards will crumble!!!
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Jul 15, 2018 06:07pm
It was the duty of FIA and NAB to pursue the warrant but unfortunately these institution still under political influence and thats is why SCP has to push them for the job. Hoping that interpole in no time brought that thug to pakistan to extract all the info about the embezzlement and corruption had had done.
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Jul 15, 2018 06:20pm
What about Mr. Musharaf? When NAB will issue red warrant for him?
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Jul 15, 2018 06:24pm
Example of dár is like if you have put càt on duty to protect milk.
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Jul 15, 2018 06:56pm
What about musharaf? When will the government/courts do anything to bring him back?
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Jul 15, 2018 07:41pm
@Truth is truth . As per Conventions on Mutual Assistance in Tax Matters, if Pak directly request UK , he will be arrested and sent home. No need to knock any other door.
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Jul 15, 2018 08:23pm
Cancellation of Mr Dar’s passport would be used as an alternative option, what difference dose that make. He must be possessing few other passports. After all he Nawaz Sharif's "samdhi".
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Jul 15, 2018 08:40pm
Do you think
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Jul 15, 2018 09:07pm
Big time crook relaxing in U.K. Because we have no extradition treaty in place.
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Jul 15, 2018 09:33pm
Very good, but will Brits will help up till now not
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Jul 15, 2018 10:39pm
@WARRIs don't worry about that jus vote for the right candidates follow your instincts!!
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Jul 15, 2018 10:45pm
@Habib Canada don't look back see the future!!
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Jul 15, 2018 10:49pm
@Khan look what's in front of you not plan your future come out and vote !!
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Jul 15, 2018 11:46pm
He won't be coming back for a long time. How does he support himself living in London and not working.
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Jul 16, 2018 03:11am
All crooks who have taken money out of Pakistan and live abroad should be brought back along with the black money in their bank accounts. They should be disqualified for life from holding a public office. Their best bet would be to open a corner store and move on.
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Jul 16, 2018 03:19am
Mr Dar should return and face justice from court of law.
Political assylum for anyone accused of money laundring should be denied
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Jul 16, 2018 05:01am
@A Voter agreed
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Jul 16, 2018 03:00pm
People asking about Musharraf etc. Lets sort out the current govt first. I'm more than sure others will follow.
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Jul 16, 2018 04:10pm
I can not believe this mafia ran Pakistan for years. No wonder the economy, security, infrastructure and institutions are near destruction or already destroyed. Still their brethren in crime are running for elections.
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Jul 17, 2018 01:16am
@Dr Ahmad - Melbourne. Then why is he in self imposed exile? Why doesn't face the courts. In a way he is defying Nawaz Sharif too.
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Jul 17, 2018 02:56am
@Truth is truth UK is more likely to pay attention to Pakistan red warrants rather giving Ishaq Dar Assylum.
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Jul 17, 2018 04:20am
@Anti-Corruption bhai they dont have any property in Pakistan
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Jul 17, 2018 05:09pm
Interpol has in the past refused request for red warrants for Altaf Hussain, someone with known connections to violence in Karachi, on the basis of not interfering in political matters. It is quite far fetched that Interpol would entertain this quite obviously politically motivated request.
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