ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday issued bailable arrest warrants for Finance Minister Ishaq Dar after his failure to appear before it in a corruption case and rejection of his request for exemption from personal appearance.

Senator Dar, who is facing a reference for amassing assets beyond his known sources of income, was also ordered by the court to ensure his presence positively on Nov 2 or face confiscation of his Rs5 million surety bond. He is currently in London.

He was indicted by the court on Oct 25, whereas his assets have already been frozen on the direc-tivesof the NationalAccountability Bureau chairman.

In an application, Mr Dar had requested Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir to allow senior Supreme Court lawyer Qausain Faisal Mufti to represent him on Monday.

In the reference, NAB has accused the finance minister of acquiring assets and pecuniary interests/resources worth Rs831.678m in his own name or in the names of his dependants, which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The reference against Mr Dar was instituted in line with the July 28 Supreme Court judgement in the Panama Papers case. The accountabilitycourtisrequired to complete the trial within six months.

Senior counsel Khawaja Haris, appearing on behalf of Mr Dar, informed the accountability court that since his client was abroad for a medical check-up, his appearance should be dispensed with, but he had no objection ifthe court wanted to record the testimony of witnesses.

Under Section 353 of the Criminal Procedure Code, there is no impediment in the recording of evidence in the absence of the accused, provided he has been granted exemption from personal appearance.

Mr Haris also submitted a threepage application seeking Mr Dar`s exemption from personal presence and explained that his client had experienced heaviness in his chest and had to receive an emergency treatment in Saudi Arabia where he was staying.

He also recalled that Mr Dar had undergone a coronary angioplasty and bio-resorbable stenting in 2013, and had medical check-up by Dr Christopher Baker on Sept 20 when he complained of chest pain.

The doctor had advised a dobutamine stress echocardiogram as well as ECG and some blood tests, including troponin, the application said, adding that Mr Dar had also been advised not to travel until he underwent these tests. But due to the summons earlier issued by the court, he had to return to Pakistan without undergoing these tests, it said.

Mr Dar, however, was constrained to travel from Saudi Arabia to London for the tests advised to him earlier and, therefore, could not come to the accountability court on Monday, the application said.

The diagnosis of Dr Baker was also produced before the court by the counsel.

But NAB prosecutor Imran Shafeeg opposed the application, terming it a deliberate attempt to delay the trial. He argued that the accused should have soughtthe court`s prior approval before going abroad. He also deplored that a monthold medical report was being submitted to the court.

The NAB prosecutor said that besides Prime Minister Shahid Khagan Abbasi and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the finance minister was also seen in London.

The prosecution also produced before the court four witnesses Masood Ghani, Abdul Rehman Gondal, Faisal Shahzad and Mohammad Azeem for recording their testimonies.

Abdul Rehman Gondal also furnished evidence in two bags against Mr Dar that was also examined by Khawaja Haris who said this was not relevant record.