Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah’s judicial remand extended till Nov 19

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – An accountability court extended the judicial remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail and Sheikh Imranul Haq in the LNG scandal till November 19. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented Khaqan Abbasi before accountability court. The court extended his judicial remand till November 19. However, the former prime minister also submitted an application for treatment with his own choice. In the plea, he adopted a stance that the permission should be given him for treatment on his own expense. It added that the Punjab government is not ready to take any responsibility for this. On the other hand, the court official complained against Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Musadik Malik for abusing outside the court. On his complaint, the judge called Musadik Malik on rostrum and expressed anger on his harsh words exchanged with official. Earlier in the previous hearing, the court also sought a reply from the jail authorities for calling the medical report of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, use of laptop and meeting of the accused. On August 29, court had extended the physical remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for 14 days. Abbasi is facing charges of corruption and awarding a LNG import contract at exorbitant rates in 2015, which caused big loss to the national exchequer.Sources said that he had granted a tender worth Rs220 bn to a firm in which he himself was a shareholder. NAB sources said that Abbasi, in 2013, had awarded a LNG import and distribution contract to the Elengy Terminal in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws. On July 18, the NAB arrested PML-N vice-president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi from the Toll Plaza near Thokar Niaz Baig in LNG case. On Jan 2, the NAB Executive Board had authorized two investigations against Mr 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. However, the NAB reopened the inquiry against Abbasi in October 2018.