ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday reserved the decision on its jurisdiction to rehear the case of assets beyond means against former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

Mr Dar’s counsel, Advocate Misbah Qazi, argued that an accountability court had already issued the order to acquit his client.

On Sept 15, corruption cases against public office holders that were withdrawn after amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) by the previous PDM government were reopened following the Supreme Court’s decision to annul changes to the law.

The case against Mr Dar was not closed under the amended NAB law — which the Supreme Court has scrapped — but he was acquitted, Advocate Qzi claimed.

Mr Dar’s counsel further argued that the joint investigation team (JIT) on Panama Papers did not find any evidence against his client and the investigation was “marred with flaws”. The court later adjourned the hearing till Oct 21.

Separately, the court also revived proceedings against former National Bank of Pakistan president Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Raza Rizvi.

The references against the accused persons were closed after the NAO amendments. In last November, the same court closed the proceeding on the assets reference against Mr Dar and returned the case to NAB.

In December 2017, Mr Dar was declared “a proclaimed offender”, and his perpetual arrest warrants were issued. However, the warrants were cancelled upon his surrender in Oct last year.

The case against Mr Dar was instituted after a joint investigation team (JIT probed into the Sharif family’s and Mr Dar’s assets.

As per the prosecution, the former finance minister’s assets grew manifold from Rs9.1 million in 1982-83 to Rs831.6m in 2008.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2023