Ishaq Dar owns several properties in Pakistan, Dubai: Shahzad Akbar

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar said Wednesday that the PML-N leader owns several properties in Pakistan and Dubai as against his claims in the BBC interview.

Shahzad Akbar said the nation was entertained by the interview of an absconder (Ishaq Dar), reminding as to why he had run away and not appearing before courts. Special Assistant to PM Dr. Shahbaz Gill, while also referring to Dar’s much-talked about interview, retorted that they witnessed the spectacle of trembling legs, about which Maryam Safdar talked.

Both were speaking here at a news conference on the heels of airing of the interview. They also came up with the ‘related details’ of Dar’s assets in the country and abroad. Shahzad Akbar shared the information regarding Dar’s assets in Pakistan and abroad while equating his claim of having just one property with Maryam Safdar’s statement that she did not own property in Pakistan what to talk of London. The adviser noted that both Nawaz Sharif and Dar had gone to Britain under the pretext of medical treatment.

Shahbaz Gill said that they were indeed thieves, corrupt, criminals, but if so, there were cries on Pakistani and international media that Pakistan’s media does not cover us, did not allow us to talk in the country in which they have taken refuge.

He also said a video clip of Dar was available in which he was asking for throwing out or pushing out a journalist, who had asked him a question when he was the finance minister. “But he knew he could not throw Stephen Sackur, the BBC journalist, who interviewed him and asked tough questions,” Gill said.

Gill regretted that how Nawaz Sharif while staying in England, attacked the army chief, ISI head as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan and NAB. Dar, he continued, grossly undermined the courts and the media during his interview. He billed Dar the midwife of theft, corruption and money laundering. He pointed out that as per his information the BBC had been contacting former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for a long time for his interview, as they may have some questions on which they wanted to make a documentary. At first, he continued that Nawaz used the excuse of illness and then when he addressed the public meetings in Pakistan, the pressure for interview increased, so Maryam Nawaz suggested to sending the most educated person (Dar) of their ‘tribe’, since the interview had to be in English. He said that when he appeared in the interview, what happened was that they all saw that sometimes the tongue came out, sometimes both eyes came out, when he said that “I have only one property in Pakistan, I was embarrassed but shameless in my eyes”.

Shahbaz Gill also showed to media still images of ex-finance minister with varied expressions, as he said the interview was full of contradictions. He said that there was a story in The News on December 30, 2017 in which Ali Dar (his son) had admitted that 52 villas were in his possession in Dubai. He noted that the journalists, who interviewed Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz without their patronage, would have learned Tuesday how to conduct the interview. He said questioned were always fed to them and interviews subjected to cuts. He said that they were invited to appear in the media in Pakistan, but they will have to appear in the courts and fight their cases in the courts.

“They should become ordinary citizens from proclaimed offenders, then media is open for them,” he remarked.

“Whenever Maryam speaks, she tells lies and their method is such that lie so much that it starts appearing truth and the same attempt was in the BBC programme,” he contended.

Shahzad Akbar claimed that Dar was totally exposed during the interview. For instance, he shared details of his assets from his assets declaration with the FBR and the NAB charge-sheet and noted that it was not so.

The adviser said that Dar had a house No. 7 in Lahore, Gulberg, six acres of land in Malot, Islamabad, a house No. 159 in Phase-IV of DHA, two kanals and 18 marlas, three plots in Al-Falah Housing Society, two kanals in Islamabad, another two kanals in Ayaz Builders Project, a plot in Senate Cooperative Society, eight vehicles, including Mercedes, land cruiser and he owns some companies and has invested in multiple firms in Pakistan and abroad. He recalled how Dar had already made a confessional statement regarding money laundering for Sharif family in relation to Hudaibiya Mills case. Shahzad Akbar said that negotiations were underway with Britain for the deportation of Nawaz Sharif. He asserted that Nawaz Sharif was a convicted person and he had gone to Britain for medical treatment after giving an undertaking.

Shahzad Akbar said Nawaz and Dar stood totally exposed in the recent BBC interview and noted that the interview made it obvious as to why Dar was an absconder and not appearing before the courts.

Referring to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said the opposition parties had lost their relevance in the national politics and the PTI was the most popular party and referred to his party’s recent poll victory in GB polls and said one saw its manifestation in the recent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, where Prime Minister Imran Khan had gone today for oath-taking of the GB cabinet.

He claimed the people were also not attending the public gatherings of the opposition parties in large numbers. He said the opposition parties must act responsibly and stop playing with the lives of the people as the second wave of COVID-19 was proving to be more fatal and endangering public life was not advisable at all.

Meanwhile, the PTI leaders have taken to social media to bash former finance minister Ishaq Dar for his interview on BBC News' show "HARDtalk"

Dar, who is also a close aide of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, revealed during the interview that he owns only one property in Pakistan and that too, has been seized by the government.

Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari tweeted that Ishaq Dar wrongly attributed Fafen report about election irregularities.

“So Ishaq Dar didn't just fumble over his properties, he lied abt GE (general election) 18 when he said Fafen reported 35 seats were rigged & stolen in GE-18. Nowhere did Fafen report say this. In fact, acc(ording) to Fafen there was decrease of 62% in procedural irregularities in GE-18 compared to GE-13.”

Special Assistant to PM on Youth Affairs Usman Dar said in a tweet that Ishaq Dar during the interview conveniently skipped to tell the fact that most people who died in NAB custody were already in custody during the reign of the PML-N. He said the PML-N is always following the mantra of corruption while in power, and allegations against institutions when out of power.

SAPM on Political Affairs Shahbaz Gill said in a tweet that now the expected narrative of the PML-N will be that Stephen was bribed by Vicky’s cousin Jemima to scold Ishaq Dar.

Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri said the documents revealed that Ishaq Dar and his sons once owned 13 offshore companies in Dubai. “Hussain Nawaz, son of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and his son-in-law Cap (R) Safdar were also employed in HDS Securities Pvt Ltd which owned 52 villas in Dubai,” he tweeted.

Minister for water resources Faisal Vawda was even harsh in his criticism, saying that Ishaq Dar earned a certificate of global thief for himself and Nawaz Sharif and now the court has declared Nawaz as absconder. He said now Maryam Nawaz must have realised why she and her father are called absconders and fugitives.