National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has opposed plea seeking bail of former minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in liquefied natural gas (LNG) scandal.

During the hearing on former prime minister’s bail petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC), NAB told that a reference against Abbasi has already filed in the accountability court.

The bureau further requested to reject the bail plea of PML-N leader and submitted a reply comprising 24 pages in the 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 accused of granting contract on LNG to favourite company.

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 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.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi taken into custody on July 18, 2019.