Court directs NAB to file supplementary reference against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a supplementary reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal case, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The accountability judge, Mohammad Azam Khan, resumed hearing of the reference filed by NAB against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz legislator Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others.

An application for exemption from appearance was filed by the former prime minister which was granted by the accountability court.

During the hearing, the anti-graft watchdog sought more time from the court for filing reference against PML-N stalwart.

The accountability court granted NAB till July 3 time to file reference against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal case.

In the previous hearing, the NAB prosecution informed the court that record pertaining to the reference could not be shifted from Karachi and a supplementary reference, in this case, is being readied which will be filed soon.

The court also approved the NAB request to declare former Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Managing Director (MD) Shahid Islam as a proclaimed offender and adjourned the hearing till June 11.

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.