ISLAMABAD:
An accountability court on Tuesday disposed of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) proceedings against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar regarding the assets beyond means case.
According to Express News, the accountability court in Islamabad heard the acquittal plea of the three accused as well as Dar, and Judge Muhammad Basheer announced the reserved verdict.
“We do not have jurisdiction under the new act,” the court said, “therefore, we cannot proceed.”
The court sent the reference back to NAB while pronouncing the reserved verdict.
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According to the court’s ruling, it doesn’t have the authority to rule over the petition.
The court said that it “cannot rule in favour of NAB or the accused” and concluded the trial against the finance minister.
It is pertinent to note that Ishaq Dar, Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Raza had filed acquittal petitions against the NAB reference.
The reference
The anti-graft watchdog reference possessing assets beyond known sources of income was submitted in 2017 and named Ishaq Dar, former National Bank president Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Raza Rizvi.
The court had reserved its decision after hearing the parties’ arguments.
The reference contains the accounts of 42 witnesses, including the investigating officer Nadir Abbas who investigated the Ishaq Dar reference.
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It should be recalled that the accountability court had received a reference from NAB in 2017, following which Dar had left the country at the end of the year.
The court had listed Dar as a proclaimed offender because of his persistent non-appearance in court.
The finance minister had surrendered to the court after four years and had filed an acquittal petition.
