LNG corruption: Supreme Court asks Sheikh Rasheed to approach NAB

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday directed Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed to approach the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for a probe into alleged massive corruption in the award of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, who headed a bench, disposed of a petition filed by the AML chief seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Rasheed moved the apex court to send the incumbent premier packing over his role in alleged irregularities in the LNG contract.

CJP Nisar advised Barrister Latif Khosa, who represented the petitioner, to approach the anti-graft watchdog to have his grievance redressed.

Sheikh Rasheed’s lawyer argued that the government was misusing its powers. The contract had been awarded for import of LNG from Qatar for fifteen years at excessive price, which lacked any transparency.

The government put extra burden over already squeezed consumers by importing gas at excessive prices.

CJP Nisar noted that the case was of a political nature and thus the petitioner should approach the NAB.

The bureau is an independent institution, which has vast powers to tackle the matter, he observed.

Earlier, the AML chief filed the petition, pleading the court to disqualify the incumbent prime minister from office over alleged corruption in the award of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract.

The court was further requested in the petition to order the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to take action against Abbasi in this regard.

The petitioner has levelled allegations of massive corruption over the prime minister in the LNG contract, which, he said, the prime minister in his capacity as the minister for petroleum and natural resources had awarded back in year 2015.