Dar likely to skip tomorrow’s trial
Finance minister cannot personally attend the proceedings as he is undergoing medical treatment
Pakistan’s embattled Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is likely to skip the trial proceedings tomorrow in a graft case, a media report said yesterday.
Dar, 67, intended to file an application before the accountability court seeking an exemption from personal attendance and the appointment of a pleader who would represent him during the trial proceedings, the Dawn reported, citing sources privy to the development.
It may be mentioned that the accountability court judge, Mohammad Bashir, on November 8 had ordered Dar’s guarantors to appear in the court in person and also ensure that he also appears before the court on November 14.
The sources said the finance minister through his counsel Khawaja Haris would move an application in the court to appoint advocate Qausain Faisal Mufti as his pleader.
The finance minister is likely to seek exemption from personal appearance and appoint pleader in his place.
According to the sources, due to his deteriorated health, Dar cannot personally attend the proceedings as he is undergoing medical treatment.
In the reference against Dar, NAB alleged that “the accused has acquired assets and pecuniary interests/resources in his own name and/or in the name of his dependents of an amount of Rs831.678 million.”
The reference alleged that the assets of Dar were “disproportionate to his known sources of income”.