Shahid Khaqan Abbasi moves IHC for protective bail in illegal appointment case

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking protective bail in an illegal appointment case, ARY News reported.

The Islamabad High Court, on March 31, had granted four-week protective bail to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former secretary petroleum Arshad Mirza in a reference pertaining to the illegal appointment of managing director Pakistan State Oil (PSO).

Barrister Zafarullah Khan has filed the petition on Abbasi’s behalf.

In his plea, Shahid Khaqan stated that NAB Karachi had issued arrest warrants for him, while he is in Islamabad and cannot appear before the accountability court, Karachi, due to lockdown.

Khaqan in his plea has requested IHC to grant him pre-arrest bail in NAB case till May 12.

The Accountability Court, Karachi had issued non-bailable warrants for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in a reference pertaining to illegal appointment of managing director PSO.

The anti-graft watchdog filed second reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the illegal appoint of Imran-ul-Haq as PSO managing director in a Karachi accountability court.

NAB in December last year filed a reference in the accountability court against Mr Abbasi, Mr Ismail, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, former chairman of Ogra Saeed Ahmed Khan, Ogra chairperson Uzma Adil Khan, Engro group chairman Hussain Dawood, former chairman of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) Agha Jan Akhtar, former member of Ogra Aamir Naseem, another former managing director of PSO Shahid M. Islam and PSO official Abdul Sammad.

Mr Abbasi was arrested in connection with the case in July. He is accused of awarding a 15-year contract for an LNG terminal allegedly when he was petroleum minister in former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted bail to Abbasi in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference on February 25.