AC extends remand of Miftah Ismail, Imran ul Haq in LNG case

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday extended physical remand of former finance minister, Miftah Ismail and former Managing Director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Imran ul Haq in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tender scandal.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials presented both Miftah and Haq before the court of Judge Muhammad Bashir.

The NAB officials pleaded the court to extend in the remand of the accused.

Haq’s counsel Salman Akram Raja in his arguments before the court said the accountability bureau has no concrete proof against his client on which his physical remand can be extended.

The medical reports of Miftah Ismail were also presented in the court. According to the reports, the PML-N leader is suffering from heart disease and keeping him in the custody can be deadly.

However, the court extended the physical remand of both the accused till August 30 and adjourned the hearing.

Read more: Shahid Khaqan, Miftah Ismail, others placed on ECL in LNG scandal probe

Ismail who was attending court proceedings over a bail petition he had submitted prior in the Islamabad High Court was apprehended by a NAB team which got there after the politician’s bail request was rejected by the court.

According to the anti-graft watchdog, the LNG sector was suffering an annual loss of $228 thousand annually due to the underhanded practices carried out by the previous government functionaries in the past on the matter.