LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday converted former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s house in Gulberg into a Panahgah (shelter home), which will start functioning from Saturday (today).

“We have established a Panahgah at Ishaq Dar’s house we confiscated in the light of the court orders sometime ago,” Assistant Commissioner Zeeshan Nasrullah Ranjha told Dawn. “The Panahgah will become functional from Satur­day,” he added.

On July 27 last year, the Lahore city district government had taken possession of about five-kanal house (7-H, Hajvery House, Gulberg III) belonging to Mr Dar after the National Accountability Bureau seized his all movable and immovable assets in connection with a corruption reference.

Last month, the Punjab government planned auctioning of Mr Dar’s Gulberg house. But it could not do so after the Islamabad High Court issued a stay order on a petition of Mr Dar’s wife.

Minister terms the decision best news of year

The assistant commissioner said the IHC stay order didn’t restrain the government from establishing a Panahgah or using it for any other purpose in the public interest. Therefore, “we can use this house measuring 4-kanal and 18 marla for Panagah.”

On the other hand, the PML-N leader Senator Mushahidullah Khan criticised the government for establishing a shelter home at Dar’s house. “They (the PTI government) have indulged in petty matters — taking over Dar’s house, talking about Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif’s platelets etc. On the other hand, the people are crying due to sky-rocketing prices of wheat flour, sugar etc,” he said when contacted.

Meanwhile, federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi welcomed the Punjab government’s decision. According to some news TV channels, Mr Zaidi said the decision to convert Mr Dar’s residence into a shelter home is the best news of the year.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2020