Pakistani court indicts finance minister on graft charges

ISLAMABAD – A Pakistani court in a high-profile corruption case has indicted the country’s finance minister on graft charges after investigators found his assets did not match his reported income.

State media report that Ishaq Dar was present in the courtroom Wednesday when a judge read the charges against him. Dar denied the allegations.

Under Pakistan’s laws, Dar can continue to work as a minister until he is found guilty. However, opposition leaders have asked him to resign on moral grounds.

Dar has close familial ties to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified from holding office by the Supreme Court for concealing his financial assets in July.

Dar’s indictment comes a day after Sharif made his first appearance before a judge to face corruption cases.