Court issues non-bailable warrants for ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

KARACHI: The Accountability Court, Karachi, on Friday issued non-bailable warrants for former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in a reference about the illegal appointment, ARY News reported.

The court also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former secretary petroleum Arshad Mirza.

The anti-graft watchdog has filed second reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the illegal appoint of Imran-ul-Haq as PSO managing director in a Karachi accountability court.

It also issued notices to two Imran-ul-Haq Haq and Yaqoob Sattar and have been directed to appear in court on April 10.

This is the second reference filed against former prime minister by the accountability court.

NAB in December last year filed a reference in the accountability court against Mr Abbasi, Mr Ismail, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, former chairman of Ogra Saeed Ahmed Khan, Ogra chairperson Uzma Adil Khan, Engro group chairman Hussain Dawood, former chairman of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) Agha Jan Akhtar, former member of Ogra Aamir Naseem, another former managing director of PSO Shahid M. Islam and PSO official Abdul Sammad.

Mr Abbasi was arrested in connection with the case in July. He is accused of awarding a 15-year contract for an LNG terminal allegedly when he was petroleum minister in former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted bail to Abbasi in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference on February 25.