Court extends judicial remand of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
- By Web Desk -
- Jan 06, 2020
ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday extended judicial remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) contract scam, ARY News reported.
The former finance minister Miftah Ismail, Sheikh Imran, Agha Jan, Saeed Ahmed along with Abbasi appeared before the court, however another accused named in the reference, Shahid Islam skipped today’s court proceedings.
The former prime minister and the PML-N stalwart has hired Barrister Zafarullah as his lawyer in the case, who submitted his credentials in the court.
Meanwhile, the court served notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over pleas filed by Miftah Ismail and two other accused, seeking exemption from the court appearance.
Read more: Miftah Ismail released from Adiala Jail in LNG case
The court ordered to present arguments on the exemption pleas on January 13.
LNG scandal
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail, ex-PSO MD Imranul Haq and others are facing charges of corruption over awarding a LNG import contract allegedly at exorbitant rates in 2015, which caused a big loss to the national exchequer.
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.