Ishaq Dar’s house converted into shelter for the homeless

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday decided to turn former finance minister and PML-N leader Ishaq Dar's house into a shelter for the homeless, reported The News.

After the Social Welfare Department of Punjab made the decision, beds for homeless persons have been placed in the house and separate arrangements have been made for women.

According to the assistant commissioner, Model Town, the district government and the Lahore Development Authority had previously sealed Dar’s house on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) orders.

Read also: Details of Ishaq Dar’s seized assets that will be auctioned

NAB had submitted a plea in an accountability court stating that since Dar was an absconder, all his property in Pakistan should be seized and put to auction.

Dar, who is related to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has been living in the United Kingdom in self-exile while several cases remain pending against him in Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi welcomed the Punjab government’s decision, tweeting: “Best news of the year so far! Fugitive Ishaq Dar’s fancy residence in Lahore converted into a PanaGah (soup kitchen/shelter).”

'Will take matter to court'

In a video message posted on PML-N's official Twitter account on Saturday, Dar the PML-N leader announced he would take the matter of converting his house into a shelter home to court.

Dar, in the video condemned the government’s move and said the government's move was in contempt of court because the Islamabad High Court had issued a stay order regarding the matter on January 27.

“The government has taken this step because I am absconder, but even the decision to brand me as a fugitive is also unlawful because my petition is in the Supreme Court,” he said. “When the government had announced it would auction my house I had filed the petition.”