ISLAMABAD: Former finance minister Ishaq Dar had sold six acres of his land in the suburb of Islamabad well before the National Accountability Bureau launched investigation against him, a report submitted by NAB to the accountability court revealed.

Moreover, NAB also failed to locate six vehicles of Mr Dar that it intended to attach as his asset. The NAB report said six acres of land in Mauza Milot had already been sold before the initiation of the investigation.

NAB’s special prosecutor Imran Shafique submitted the report before accountability judge Mohammad Bashir in compliance with his recent order for auctioning Mr Dar’s movable and immovable assets.

He said the trial court had directed the investigation officer on Oct 2 to take possession of Mr Dar’s vehicles. The investigation team visited the residence of the accused in 7-H Gulberg-III, but no vehicle was found there, he said.

Bureau also failed to locate former minister’s six vehicles that it intended to attach

The digital video recorder (DVR) of the house was taken into possession for analysis, but data retrieved so far showed that no vehicle was parked there.

Submitting the compliance report on attachment of bank accounts of Mr Dar, the special prosecutor informed the accountability judge that a sum of Rs508.31 million had been attached and placed at the disposal of the Punjab government.

On the request of NAB, the court placed Mr Dar’s properties at the disposal of the provincial government.

Following the filing of the reference in September last year, NAB has seized all of Mr Dar’s moveable and immoveable assets, including a house in Gulberg-III, Lahore; three plots in Al-Falah Housing Society, Lahore; six acres of land in Islamabad; a two-kanal plot in the Parliamentarians Enclave, Islamabad; a plot in the Senate Cooperative Housing Society, Islam­abad; another plot measuring two kanals and nine marlas in Islamabad; and six vehicles.

NAB alleges that Mr Dar has acquired in his name and/or in the names of his dependants assets worth Rs831.7m, which are disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The prosecutor requested the court to appoint a “receiver” who would receive and deposit the revenue collected from the properties in government’s treasury.

In the order announced on Tuesday, Judge Bashir stated: “As per available record, compliance report regarding attachment of property House No 7, Block-II, Gulberg-III, Lahore, belonging to accused Muhammad Ishaq Dar is available, similarly compliance report of attachment of bank accounts is also available.”

The order said: “A period of more than six months has expired to attachment of said property and bank accounts, but accused Muhammad Ishaq Dar who was declared as proclaimed offender did not appear within time specified in proclamation, therefore, above said property as well as banks accounts shall be at the disposal of concerned provincial government within the meaning of section 88 (7) of the Criminal Procedure Code.”

The prosecutor informed the judge that the accountability court had in December last year attached three plots of Mr Dar situated in Al-Falah Housing Scheme. He sought the court’s directive for auctioning these plots as well.

Regarding attachment of shares, the report said: “The compliance report regarding shares amounting to Rs3.4 million of Hajveri Holding (Private) Limited in the name of Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Tabassum Ishaq Dar and shares amounting to Rs2700 in Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) is awaited from the joint registrar Securities and Exchange Com­mission of Pakistan (SECP) that will be submitted on next date of hearing.”

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2018