LAHORE: The Lahore city district administration has withdrawn the orders related to the attachment of the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s bank accounts and properties by writing to the authorities concerned in this regard.

With withdrawal of the attachment orders that were earlier issued in 2018 following orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the entire accounts/properties owned by Mr Dar have now come out of the frozen assets category.

According to a letter issued by the office of Lahore deputy commissioner, the administration has sought unfreezing of the attached accounts/assets owned by Mr Dar.

“Please find enclosed herewith a copy of letter (reference: 1 (61) HQ/910/CIT/NAB-L of Dec 1, 2022 and Dec 5, 2022 received from the additional director (staff), NAB, Lahore along with the order of learned accountability court No-1, Islamabad,” reads the letter written to the chief executive officers/presidents of the Allied Bank Limited, Bank Al-Falah Limited, Bank Al-Barka Limited and Habib Bank Limited.

The DC office through the letter titled “Withdrawal of attachment order- investigation against Muhammad Ishaq Dar, senator & federal minister, for accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income and others (reference No. 21/2017)”, requested the banks’ authorities to ensure compliance with the orders of November 22 passed by the accountability court No.1, Islamabad communicated vide letter No 1 (61) HQ/910/CIT/NAB-L of Dec 1, 2022 issued by NAB and subsequent verification made by the NAB through a letter under same reference on Dec 5.

On SC orders in Panama Papers case, NAB had acted against him for ‘amassing wealth beyond known sources of income’

“The compliance report must be shared with the quarters concerned under intimation to this office,” the letter concludes.

Talking to Dawn, an official source in the district admin said the bank authorities have removed embargo imposed earlier on the orders of the NAB court. “Keeping in view the NAB court verdict and orders subsequently issued by the bureau (Lahore chapter), the district admin have withdrawn the attachment orders under which the accounts and assets, including a bunglow in Gulberg (Lahore) of Mr Dar have come out of the frozen category,” the official explained.

It merits mentioning that the Islamabad accountability court had in October 2018 accepted an application filed by the NAB seeking auction of properties owned by Mr Dar. The court also placed his properties at the disposal of the Punjab government.

After filing a reference against Mr Dar in the accountability court in September, 2017, NAB had seized all of Mr Dar’s movable and immovable 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 had alleged that Mr Dar acquired in his name and/or in his dependants’ names assets worth Rs831.7 million which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

For his absconding in a corruption reference, NAB seized Mr Dar’s all movable and immovable assets.

In July 2019, the Lahore admin in a major operation following orders of the then Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government took possession of about five-kanal house (7-H Hajvery House, Gulberg III). Later the admin also converted the house into a shelter home.

However, in November 2022, the Islamabad accountability court sent a reference against Mr Dar and others in an assets beyond means case back to the NAB saying it did not have the jurisdiction to act under the new NAB laws.

The reference had been filed by the anti-corruption watchdog in September 2017 on the recommendations of the Supreme Court in its Panama Papers case verdict.

“Following the NAB’s letters, we have given possession of Mr Dar’s Gulberg House to the owner’s representative,” Lahore Model Town Assistant Commissioner Arbab Ibrahim confirmed while talking to Dawn on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2022