Finance Minister Ishaq Dar leaving the court premises on October 16, 2017. Photo: Geo News 

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing a corruption case against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will resume proceedings around 11:30am today. 

This will be the finance minister's sixth appearance in the court of Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir. 

The court is expected to record the statements of two more prosecution witnesses today ? Masood Ghani of Habib Bank and Abdul Rahman Gondal of Allied Bank.

Previously, the court has recorded the statements of Ishtiaq Ali of Bank Alfalah, Shahid Aziz National Investment Trust and Tariq Javed of Al Baraka Bank. 

The minister is accused of possessing assets beyond his declared sources of income in the reference filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the directions of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case judgment. 

Last hearing 

At the last hearing on October 16, the court rejected Dar's plea to be exempted from appearance, observing that the accused needs to be present when the witnesses record their statements and are cross-examined.

Assets reference: Court rejects Dar's exemption plea, adjourns hearing till Wed

The accountability court has summoned two more witnesses, officials of two private banks, at the next hearing

Conducting the cross-examination of witness Tariq Javed of Al Baraka Bank, Harris accused the witness of lying in court after he produced 'bogus' documents regarding his summons by the NAB. 

The NAB has submitted a list of 28 witnesses with the accountability court, which is hearing the Supreme Court-directed case against Dar and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

Dar ? who was indicted on September 27 for owning assets beyond his known sources of income ? has denied all charges and vowed to prove his innocence in court.

Ishaq Dar indicted in assets reference case; hearing adjourned until Oct 4

The finance minister denied the charges and vowed to prove his innocence in court

The minister also challenged his indictment and trial in the Islamabad High Court but the pleas were dismissed with directions to take them to Justice Ijazul Ahsan ? the Supreme Court judge monitoring the corruption references.

The reference

The corruption reference pertaining to Dar's owning assets disproportionate to his known sources of income was filed by the NAB in light of the Supreme Court's July 28 judgment in the Panama Papers case.

After skipping his first hearing ? for which a summons had been issued ?Dar appeared in court later after bailable warrants for his arrest were been issued to ensure his presence.

The judge then directed Dar to deposit a Rs. 5 million surety bond to ensure his appearance at the hearings.