Court extends judicial remand of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in LNG case

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court has on Friday extended judicial remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi till March 9, in a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case.

The PML-N stalwart was presented before the court after his judicial remand expired today.

As the hearing went underway, NAB’s prosecutor said arrest warrants of Shahid Muzaffarul Islam, an accused in the LNG case, were issued but he was not available at his home address.

Will present comprehensive report in this regard on the next hearing, the court can exclude Muzaffarul Islam’s name from the reference by issuing his permanent warrants, NAB prosecutor said before the court.

However, Barrister Zafarullah, the lawyer of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi opposed the move by stating that how one’s name can be excluded from the case in an incomplete trial?

He said according to the NAB, Shahid Muzaffarul Islam was co accused with his client, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the reference.

The court after hearing the arguments extended judicial remand of Abbasi and adjourned hearing till March 9.

LNG scandal

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 Former Prime Minister, 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.