NAB says minister Dar should be on no-fly list

TheNational Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan has recommendedplacing the name of the country’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on theno-fly list.The development came yesterday shortly after anaccountability court released its three-page detailed order, issuingDar’s non-bailable arrest warrants while rejecting his plea seekingexemption from personal appearance on medical grounds over a pendingcorruption reference.“After issuance of non-bailable warrant ofarrest against Ishaq Dar, the NAB has recommended that the ministry ofinterior (MoI) place his name on the ECL,” read a statement issued bythe accountability watchdog.ECL is short for “Exit Control List”, a database of the names of individuals who are prevented from leaving Pakistan.The finance minister is already in London where he, according to his counsel, is getting treatment for ischemic heart disease.Dar’scounsel had sought his exemption from personal appearance before thecourt for a period of three to six weeks, contending that “much time isrequired by the doctors to give a final advice about Dar’s medicalcondition”.However, in its short order, the court on Tuesday rejected the request and issued Dar’s non-bailable warrant.Thewritten order issued yesterday said: “The defence counsel has contendedthat (a) vein of the heart of the accused is ruptured and he isadmitted to a hospital but no such report has been annexed with theapplication for exemption from court’s proceedings.”“Two medicolegal reports are submitted. The last one is issued by Dr RanjitDeshpande, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, on November 6. The reportis procured by the accused from an Indian doctor. Previously, medicolegal report was issued by Dr Christopher Baker,” the order added.“Itshows that two different medical reports of two different doctors areproduced without any medical report about the latest position of theaccused. Therefore, the application submitted for exemption of accusedfrom personal appearance is not entertainable,” the court order read,adding that the accused was “deliberately” not appearing before thecourt.The court also directed Dar’s guarantor, Ali Ahmad Quddusi, toensure presence of the accused at the next hearing on November 21 orrisk forfeiting his surety bond.On October 27, Dar flew to Tajikistan for a one-day official trip to attend a conference.However, later he changed his plans, extended his stay and flew to the UK where his health condition reportedly deteriorated.Anaccountability court has been hearing a corruption reference againsthim for accumulating wealth beyond known sources of income.Dar hasskipped last three hearings of the case, which was filed in view of theSupreme Court’s July 28 verdict in Panamagate case.This reference isone of the four that the Supreme Court had ordered that the NAB fileagainst former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his three children, hisson-in-law, and Dar.On November 2, the accountability court ordered afreeze on all the domestic assets,  properties, bank accounts andinvestments owned by Dar and his family members.