LNG scandal: Miftah Ismail files pre-arrest bail plea in IHC
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Former finance minister Miftah Ismail on Wednesday filed a petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking pre-arrest bail in LNG scandal case.
In the petition, he called the charges against him baseless and sought a pre-arrest bail from the IHC till completion of the investigation and verdict against him in court. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and Federal Ministry of Law secretary have been made party in the petition.
It is noteworthy that NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal had last Thursday signed arrest warrants of Miftah Ismail in LNG scandal and the corruption watchdog body teams conducted raids at his residences in Karachi and Islamabad for his arrest.
On last Friday Miftah Ismail and ex-managing director Pakistan State Oil Imranul Haq Sheikh were granted seven-day protective bail by the Sindh High Court (SHC).
Ismail, who was escaped NAB’s arrest reached the SHC in morning and managed to enter the premises. Imranul Haq Sheikh, who is also co-accused in LNG terminal scam, also followed Ismail to reach the SHC for seeking protective bail.
A NAB team from Karachi also reached SHC, but apparently failed to arrest Ismail before his entry into the court’s premises. Miftah in his plea stated: “The NAB action is based on mala fide. I am willing to face the bureau’s investigations. Let me grant protective bail.”
Earlier, former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has also been arrested by the accountability bureau in the same case.
