Stay against auction of Ishaq Dar’s properties vacated

Published February 1, 2022
A photo of former finance minister Ishaq Dar.—Reuters/File
A photo of former finance minister Ishaq Dar.—Reuters/File

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by the spouse of former finance minister Ishaq Dar against the auction of the latter’s bungalow.

A division bench, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, in a short order dismissed the petition of Tabassum Ishaq Dar and also withdrew the stay order issued against the auction of Mr Dar’s properties.

His spouse had challenged the confiscation of a house in Gulberg Lahore, saying her husband had verbally gifted the property to her on Feb 14, 1989, in lieu of her dower amount. Ms Dar said since she had accepted the gift and was residing there, NAB had erroneously shown the property as an asset of Mr Dar.

She requested the court to recall the order for auction of the property.

On Oct 2, 2018, accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir had attached Mr Dar’s properties with the Punjab government. The accountability court on November 7 last year allowed the provincial government to auction the house. As per NAB report, Rs508.31 million had been attached and placed on the disposal of the provincial government.

Following filing of a reference against Mr Dar in the accountability court in September 2017, NAB had seized all his moveable and immoveable assets. These included the house in Gulberg III, Lahore; three plots in Al-Falah Housing Society, Lahore; six acres in Islamabad; a two-kanal plot in Parliamentarians Enclave, Islamabad; a plot in the Senate Cooperative Housing Society, Islamabad; a two kanal plot and a nine marla plot in Islamabad along with six vehicles.

The bureau said Mr Dar had acquired in his name and/or in the names of his dependents assets worth Rs831.7 million which was disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

A year later
Updated 08 Feb, 2025

A year later

A war of egos has been fought between a handful of individuals at the cost of the well-being of millions of ordinary Pakistanis.
Wheat decision
08 Feb, 2025

Wheat decision

THE federal decision to stop setting the minimum support price for wheat and cease the staple’s procurement...
Dhanmondi attack
08 Feb, 2025

Dhanmondi attack

HISTORY has shown that unless states deliver development and equal rights to all, disenfranchised people can target...
Depopulating Gaza
Updated 07 Feb, 2025

Depopulating Gaza

The least feasible "solution" is the Trumpian plan for Gaza’s ethnic cleansing and occupation, which is a non-starter.
‘Pause’ in US aid
07 Feb, 2025

‘Pause’ in US aid

THE impact of the Trump administration’s decision to ‘pause’ all US foreign aid programmes, especially those...
Mobilising opposition
07 Feb, 2025

Mobilising opposition

POLITICS makes strange bedfellows. There has not, for quite some time, been a guest list as intriguing as the one...