Case against Abbasi, others put off as defence counsel contracts coronavirus

KARACHI: An accountability court here on Monday adjourned a PSO case against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza and others.

The court adjourned the hearing until December 21 after it was informed that a defence counsel has contracted the coronavirus, due to which he couldn’t appear before it today. The court was informed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor too didn’t appear due to the pandemic.

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Abbasi and other accused turned up before the court as it resumed hearing the case.

The anti-corruption watchdog had filed a reference against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and Arshad Mirza, accusing them of appointing Sheikh Imranul Haq as managing director and Yaqoob Sattar as deputy managing director (finance) of the PSO in violation of rules and regulations.

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September 03, the Sindh High Court had confirmed the interim pre-arrest bail of the former, the former petroleum secretary and two others in the case. The two-judge bench headed by Justice K.K. Agha directed the interior ministry to put the names of all the petitioners on the exit control list.

On May 19, the SHC had granted interim pre-arrest bail to Abbasi and others against a surety bond of Rs500,000 each.