NAB summons Sheikh Rasheed with ‘proofs’ of LNG scam

RAWALPINDI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday issued a summon to Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed to turn up with ‘proofs’ he claims to have in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) contract scam, ARY News reported.

Rasheed had been claiming to have details of alleged corruption in the award of a contract for the import of LNG by the then federal petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

According to the NAB notice, Rasheed has been asked to bring along record of LNG scam on Feb 27 at 11pm.

The minister was asked in the notice to appear before NAB’s Rawalpindi office.

Last year in February, Rasheed, who is also the chief of his own Pakistan Awami League, said he had provided details to NAB chairman about the LNG corruption case.

On February 12, the Supreme Court had dismissed Rasheed’s petition seeking a NAB inquiry against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as well as his disqualification from parliament over the LNG scandal.

The three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by then chief justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had ruled that the case can be taken to the NAB. Justice Ijazul Ahsan had added that NAB can summon the respondents if it finds it reasonable.

Rasheed has been claiming since Abbasi’s election as prime minister in August 2017 that the former petroleum minister was guilty of multi-billion rupee corruption.