Islamabad Accountability court adjourns LNG Case hearing till Feb 4

Islamabad Accountability court on Tuesday extended judicial remand of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi till February 4 in liquefied natural gas (LNG) scandal.

As per details, Islamabad Accountability court on Tuesday heard liquefied natural gas (LNG) scandal against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Former Ogra chairman Saeed Ahmed Khan, Ogra chairperson Uzma Adil Khan, chairman of the Engro group Hussain Dawood, former chairman PQA Agha Jan Akhtar, former member Ogra Aamir Naseem, former PSO MD Shahid M Islam and Abdul Sammad have also been named in the reference.

During the hearing, the court sought report on the arrest warrant of absconder Shahid Islam from National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The judge said indictment proceedings cannot be carried out due to one absconder.

The other indict, former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail did not appear in court as he was exempted from attendance.

Chairman Ogra Uzma Adil, former chairman Saeed Ahmed Khan ordered to submit 1 crore in court.

On September 10, 2018, the apex court had directed the NAB to complete inquiry against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others for the alleged corruption in the LNG contract.

As the minister for petroleum and natural resources, Abbasi has been accused of granting contract on LNG to favourite company.

The case was closed by NAB in 2016 but then reopened in 2018.

In June 2018, the NAB approved inquiry against former premier Nawaz Sharif and Abbasi, who was the former minister for petroleum and natural resources at that time.

It was also observed that this contract had allegedly caused a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer.

In January, the NAB interrogated former finance minister Miftah Ismail in the same case.

However, Abbasi has said several times in the recent past that he did not commit any illegality in the award of contracts for LNG import.