Pak issues red warrant against former finance minister Ishaq Dar

Pakistan has issued a red warrant against former finance minister Ishaq Dar, who has been declared absconder by an accountability court in a corruption case, the Interior Ministry told the Supreme Court.

Dar, 67, is accused of accumulating assets worth an estimated Rs 831.7 million, which is disproportionate with his known sources of income. The accountability court in Islamabad has already issued non-bailable arrest warrant against him.

He is living in London since October 2017.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had taken up the matter of Dar's repeated absence from hearings despite being given several directions, Dawn reported.

Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan yesterday told the apex court that the interior ministry on a request of the Federal Investigation Agency had issued red warrants and was now waiting for a reply from Interpol.

He said the cancellation of Dar's passport would be used as an alternative option if he continued to refuse to return to Pakistan, the paper said.

The court was also informed that Dar's properties in Pakistan had been forfeited.

The former finance minister had won a Senate seat in March as a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) backed independent candidate.

Dar's presence had been sought by the Supreme Court in a suo motu case regarding the appointment of playwright and columnist Ataul Haq Qasmi as chairman of the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) on a hefty package.

Qasmi was looking after the affairs of PTV after the three-year contract of former managing director Mohammad Malick expired on February 26, 2016.

Dar was asked to come to the court and explain why Qasmi had been appointed to the prized post at such a hefty salary.