ISLAMABAD, (DNA) – As an accountability court on Monday resumed hearing a corruption reference against Ishaq Dar, the former finance minister’s lawyer requested the court not declare his client an absconder following submission of a new medical report in court today.

The court last week had reserved its verdict on declaring Dar an absconder. The announcement of the court’s verdict was delayed after the ex-minister’s counsel requested the court to defer the matter until the PML-N leader’s medical reports arrived from London.

Ishaq Dar has repeatedly failed to join the trial and has remained in London for some time now, where he is said to be undergoing medical treatment. He is accused of amassing assets beyond his known sources of income.

Defence lawyer Advocate Qausain Faisal Mufti told the court that Dar was suffering from chest pain and a minor issue in a coronary artery and, therefore, could not appear in court.

The prosecution rejected Mufti’s claims and declared that the former minister was not suffering from any medical issues because all of his medical reports presented in court differed from the other.

Mufti responded, saying that the National Accountability Bureau had not yet verified the medical reports. He added that Dar was waiting for more reports.

Dar’s lawyer also said that the non-bailable arrest warrants issued by NAB were sent to the minister’s Lahore residence where he is not living at the moment.

The prosecution team said that the former minister was aware of court proceedings and there was no need to send warrants to London.

The court also declined one Advocate Qazi Misbah’s request to present arguments on Dar’s behalf, whom he claimed to be representing today, saying that he could not be allowed to do so since he was not the PML-N leader’s lawyer.