Court extends physical remand of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for 14 days

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Thursday extended physical remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for 14 days, ARY News reported.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials produced Abbasi before the accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir today after his remand period expired.

The judge asked from NAB officials for the period of further remand of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The officials requested to the court for further 14 days’ physical remand of the PML-N leader in an accountability reference.

Abbasi told the court to grant them the remand whatever they are requesting for.

“They demand documents during the questioning. I reply their questions whatever they ask,” Abbasi said.

After arguments, the court granted the accountability bureau further 14 days’ physical remand of the former prime minister.

The judge also directed NAB officials to complete their investigation within the period of 14 days remand.

PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif, Marriyum Aurangzeb and others met with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the court.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was arrested by a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team while en-route to Thokar Niaz Baig in Lahore on July 18 in a multi-billion-rupee case related to the award of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract.

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.

Earlier on April 26, the names of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail and five others had been placed in exit control list in an inquiry into the LNG scandal.