Pakistan court issues arrest warrant against former FM Ishaq Dar

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 18 : A Pakistan court on Wednesday issued a perpetual arrest warrant against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in "corruption reference".
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the reference against Dar, who has been declared an absconder in the case since he has missed hearings owing to his prolonged stay in London, that the former Minister had acquired assets beyond his known sources of income, Dawn newspaper reported.
The court also made conditional the issuance of a ruling on pleas seeking the acquittal of co-accused -- former NBP president Saeed Ahmed, Mansoor Raza Rizvi, and Naeem Mehmood, who were directors of Ishaq Dar's Hajveri Modaraba -- on the PML-N leader's arrest.
The co-accused had filed pleas for their acquittal and challenged the reference under the NAB amendment ordinance, as per the publication.
According to Dawn, NAB prosecutor Afzal Qureshi and counsel for the co-accused appeared before the court, and Judge Muhammad Bashir presided over the proceedings.
The judge at the hearing today, ruled that the reference's proceedings would not progress until Dar was arrested and presented before the court and the decision on the acquittal of the co-accused would be issued only after that, Dawn reported.
The court then adjourned the hearing of the reference until Dar's arrest, it added.