NAB summons Shahid Khaqan in LNG case on July 18

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summoned former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) contract case on July 18, ARY News reported.

The former prime minister is facing charges of corruption and awarding a LNG import contract at exorbitant rates in 2015, which caused big loss to the national exchequer. Sources said that he had granted a tender worth Rs220 bn to a firm in which he himself was a shareholder.

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.

Abbasi is also accused of misusing his authority during his stint as petroleum minister. The case was registered on a complaint by Shahid Sattar – an energy expert and former member of the Planning Commission and the SSGC board of directors – on July 29, 2015.

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.

Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal had earlier approved an inquiry against Shahid Khaqan, Miftah Ismail and others for their alleged role in the LNG scandal.

Chairperson Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA)Uzma Adil Khan, former MD Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Imranul Haq, Mubeen Saulat, Shahid Islamuddin and Amir Naseem had been other officials placed in the ECL, sources had said.