LNG reference: Hearing adjourned till publication of 'gazette copy' of ordinance

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad has adjourned the hearing of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference against former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi till the publication of ‘gazette copy’ of the amended ordinance related to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The accountability court’s judge Azam Khan conducted the hearing of LNG reference against former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Barrister Zafarullah Khan, the counsel of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, told the judge that another ordinance has been brought by the federal government.

READ: NAB WITNESS CROSS-EXAMINED IN LNG REFERENCE AGAINST EX-PREMIER, OTHERS

The counsel said that back to back ordinances are arriving whenever they proceeded with the case arguments in accordance with the older ordinance.

The judge questioned whether the new ordinance has been published or not. To this, Zafarullah Khan replied that the gazette copy will be printed today.

The NAB prosecutor said that the matter should be reviewed after the publication of the gazette copy of the amended ordinance.

Later, the accountability court adjourned the hearing till the publication of the gazette copy of the ordinance. The hearing was adjourned till November 9.

READ: NAB FILES LNG REFERENCE AGAIN AFTER ADDRESSING COURT OBJECTIONS

LNG reference

Ex-PM Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, ex-chairperson of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Uzma Adil and others are named in the reference.

On November 16, the court had indicted all the accused. They pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges. Subsequently, the court directed the NAB prosecution to furnish evidence to back up the allegations against them.

Former PM Abbasi is accused of awarding an LNG Terminal-I contract to a firm at Port Qasim Karachi, at exorbitant rates.