ISLAMABAD: In an unusual move, Pakistan's anti-graft body today sought the inclusion of Ishaq Dar's name on the Exit Control List after the embattled finance minister repeatedly failed to appear before an anti-corruption court linked to the Panama Papers case.
The development came after the Accountability Court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Dar following his failure to appear in three weeks of court hearings.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recommended the placement of Dar's name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
"NAB has recommended to the Ministry of Interior to place Dar's name on ECL. A letter has been sent to MoI," said a senior NAB official.
"This is the last chance for the accused (Dar) to appear before the court," The Express Tribune reported, quoting the order.
The 67-year-old minister, who is currently in London for "medical reasons", has been charged with amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income. He has missed several court hearings conducted by the anti-graft agency NAB.
Earlier, the Accountability Court also dismissed Dar's petition for exemption from hearings.
Judge Mohammad Bashir asked Dar's guarantor Ahmad Ali Qudoosi when is the finance minister expected to appear in teh court.
In response, Qudoosi said Dar will fully recover in three to six weeks and will attend hearing after that. However, the court was not satisfied and issued a non-bailable warrant against him.
The hearing was then adjourned until November 21.
At the November 2 hearing, the accountability court had approved NAB's request to freeze Dar's assets.
The charges against Dar followed an investigation into the finances of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him for not declaring a small salary from his son's off-shore company.
On July 28, a five-member Supreme Court bench had ordered NAB to file three cases against Sharif and one against Dar on petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's chief Imran Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami's Sirajul Haq and Awami Muslim League's Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.