LNG case: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail sent to jail on judicial remand

ISLAMABAD: An accountability on Thursday sent former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former finance minister Miftah Ismail to Adiala jail on judicial remand, in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) scandal.

AC Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the case , in which Khaqan and Miftah were presented by the NAB team. The anti-graft watchdog body demanded yet another extension in the physical remand of the accused, but the Judge denied.

“I will not grant any more physical remand of the accused”, Judge Bashir said. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwarts were sent to Adiala jail on judicial remand.

In last hearing, the NAB officials had pleaded to the court for an extension in physical remand of the accused by further 14 days, which was granted by Judge Muhammad Bashir.

Abbasi was arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) 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 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 were placed in exit control list in an inquiry into the LNG scandal.