IHC stays auction of Dar’s house

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday restrained the Punjab government from auctioning the house of former finance minister Ishaq Dar and issued a stay order at the plea of Dar's wife. A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Lubna Saleem Pervaiz heard pea of Ishaq Dar’s wife (Tabassum Dar) seeking stay order on the auction of her house. During the hearing, the petitioner's lawyer Qazi Misbah told the court that the house at Lahore Gulberg was gifted by Ishaq Dar to his wife in 1989 as 'Haq Mehar'.

He further argued that the NAB has seized the house and handed over its custody to Punjab government for auctioning and prayed the court that the house was the property of Dar's wife that cannot be auctioned by declaring it Ishaq Dar's assets.

To this, the NAB prosecutor argued that the house cannot be handed over to Dar's wife and opposed her claim that it was a gift to her.

He pleaded that Tabassum Dar has no evidence of gift deed or any other material which could prove that the house a gift. It was purchased by Dar in 1988 and the land department's record showed that Dar was still owner of the property.

The court after listening to the arguments suspended the accountability court's November 7, 2019 verdict and restrained the auction of the house till the decision of petition and issued notice to the NAB to submit a complete response before next date of hearing. Later, the court adjourned the hearing till February 13.