Court issues release orders of Shahid Khaqan, Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad accountability court has issued release orders of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal and they are expected to be released from jail soon, ARY News reported.

A large number of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz workers were gathered before Adiala Jail to receive party leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on their release, causing a traffic jam in the area.

The accountability court issued release orders of two Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz leaders after submission of security bonds at the court.

The surety bonds were deposited in the court after their verification from the concerned Tehsildar.

The court release orders were sent to the jail superintendent of Adiala Jail.

Yesterday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted bail to PML-N leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the Narowal Sports Complex and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) corruption references respectively.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Athar Minallah heard the bail plea of PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in LNG case. The bench ordered the former prime minister to submit Rs10 million surety bond for bail.

Meanwhile, the two-member bench of IHC had ordered former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal to submit Rs10 million surey bond for the bail in Narowal Sports City case.

Charges against Shahid Khaqan and Ahsan Iqbal

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 Shahid Khaqan 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.

Ahsan Iqbal is accused of using funds of the federal government and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for a sports city in Narowal.

NAB had announced to initiate a probe into alleged violation of rules in the construction of the National Sports City project – a day after its inauguration by the then President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain.