Former finance minister Miftah Ismail fails to appear before NAB in LNG case

RAWALPINDI (92 News) – Former finance minister Miftah Ismail failed to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the LNG case on Wednesday. However, his counsel appeared in the NAB office and received the questionnaire. The NAB has directed Miftah Ismail to submit the reply within two weeks. The anti-graft watchdog had summoned Miftah Ismail for recording his statement in the LNG supplementary reference. The NAB has decided to file the reference afresh in the light of the new proofs. It had already given a questionnaire to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against nine accused, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail, for misuse of power in the LNG case. According to the reference, the accused had benefitted a company amounting to Rs21 billion and the country would suffer a loss of Rs47 billion by 2029 due to their decision. Former petroleum MD Sheikh Imranul Haq and former secretary have become key witnesses in the case. During the remand, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi could not give a satisfactory reply to the investigators. On Jan 2 last, the NAB Executive Board had authorized two investigations against Abbasi, being former minister for petroleum and natural resources — one for his alleged involvement in irregularities in LNG import and the other related to the appointment of Naeemuddin Khan as president of the Bank of Punjab. The NAB inquiry found that the SSGCL signed a 15-year contract with a subsidiary company of Engro for re-gasification of LNG at fixed daily processing charges. The government authorized the Pakistan State Oil to procure LNG on behalf of the SSGCL.