ISLAMABAD: The wife of former finance minister Ishaq Dar has filed an application in the accountability court against the confiscation of property of her husband after he was declared an absconder in a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for accumulating assets beyond means.

On Oct 2, accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir had attached Mr Dar’s properties with the Punjab government and allowed its auction as per rules.

Tabassum Ishaq Dar, however, 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 that 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 said property.

On Oct 10, special prosecutor Imran Shafique had informed the accountability judge that a sum of Rs508.31 million had been attached and placed on the disposal of the Punjab government.

Following filing of the reference against Mr Dar in the accountability court in September last year, NAB had seized all of Mr Dar’s moveable and immoveable assets, including a house in Gulberg III, Lahore; three plots in Al Falah Housing Society, Lahore; six acres of land in Islamabad; a two-kanal plot in the parliamentarians enclave, Islamabad; a plot in the Senate Cooperative Housing Society, Islamabad; a plot measuring two kanals and another of nine marlas in Islamabad and six vehicles.

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

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2018

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