News @ 3 - 30th May 2018

ISLAMABAD: National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) President Saeed Ahmed on Wednesday moved an application in an accountability court seeking acquittal in the assets reference filed against former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

Judge Muhammad Bashir resumed today the hearing of a reference filed against the PML-N leader by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The NBP president, who has been nominated as co-accused along with two others in the case, filed the application, requesting the judge to acquit him for want of evidence.

He contended that there is no substantive evidence that indicate his involvement in the offence. He denied that he got bank accounts opened to facilitate the main accused.

During the hearing today, defence lawyer Qazi Misbah cross-examined witness Masood Ghani who is associated with a private bank.

Ahmed’s counsel requested the judge to allow his client to proceed to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. At this, the judge said how he can do so at this juncture when the trial is ongoing.

Prosecutor Imran Shafiq alleged the accused are using delaying tactics to prolong the trial.

Judge also expressed displeasure over the absence of NBP president’s senior counsel Hashmat Habib and asked when he would recover from illness to appear in court.

He regretted that the cross-examination of a witness couldn’t be completed in the past four hearings due to his absence.