NAB moves LNG reference against Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail

ISLAMABAD, Dec 03 (APP):An Accountability Court (AC) Tuesday extended the judicial remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail for more 14-day in LNG import agreement case.

Additionally, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed another reference against these accused for allegedly misusing powers in LNG import agreement and causing a loss of Rs 68 billion to the national exchequer.

The two accused were produced before AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir after ending of their judicial remand time wherein the NAB prosecutor presented the investigation progress report.

At the outset of hearing, Abbasi pleaded that a LNG terminal, cheaper than this, couldn’t be installed anywhere in the world. He prayed the court to allow him to use laptop in jail for case consultation.
Miftah Ismail said that he was just being harassed at the moment.

Later, the NAB Rawalpindi moved a reference against nine accused including Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail and Sheikh Imranul Haq. The reference stated that the accused had misused their powers and gave benefit to a private company worth Rs 21 billion during March 2015 to September 2019.

The loss to the national kitty would reach Rs 47 billions till 2029 and public would have to bear this extra burden of Rs 68 billions through gas bills in fifteen years. The NAB had named former secretary and managing director Ministry of Petroleum as prosecution witnesses against the accused.