Abbasi's remand extended for 14 days

PML-N leader says he had been cooperating with NAB investigation team and had been answering its questions

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court has extended the physical remand of former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi till August 29 in a multi-billion-rupee case related to the award of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader was presented before the court on Thursday after his remand expired.
During the hearing, Judge Mohammad Bashir asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials for further period of remand required, to which, they requested the court for an extension in the remand till August 29.

Abbasi stated before the court that he had been cooperating with the investigation team and had been answering its questions.
After arguments, the court granted the anti-graft buster a further 14-day physical remand of Abbasi and directed the officials to complete their investigation by the end of said period.

PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif, Marriyum Aurangzeb and others met Abbasi in the court.

The former premier was arrested by a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team, while en-route to Thokar Niaz Baig in Lahore on July 18.

NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal directed the former premier's arrest under Section 18(e) and Section 24(a) of the NAO.
As per the arrest warrant issued, Abbasi was "accused of commission of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices under Section 9(a) of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999."

LNG case

The inquiry against Abbasi has been initiated directly under the supervision of NAB chairman.

On January 2, the NAB Executive Board had authorised two investigations against Abbasi, being former minister for petroleum and natural resources — one for his alleged involvement in irregularities in LNG import and the other related to the appointment of Naeemuddin Khan as president of the Bank of Punjab.

The former prime minister had said several times in the recent past that he had not committed any illegality in the award of contracts for LNG import and, therefore, he could prove his innocence at any forum.

He was of the view that the import of LNG was the need of the hour in 2013 when the country was facing an acute shortage of gas.
In the case, not only Abbasi but former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was also accused of misusing authority by awarding the contract of LNG terminal to 15 companies of their choice.

It is the first NAB case against Abbasi, who had served as prime minister for almost a year after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court on July 28, 2017.

During the previous PML-N government, the Karachi NAB in its regional board meeting had closed the inquiry against Khaqan Abbasi in December 2016.

But the PTI opposed the decision and claimed that "the inquiry was stopped despite the fact that it had been proved that the contract had been awarded in a non-transparent manner".

The then Karachi NAB director general had remarked in a meeting: "After exhaustive discussion it has been decided that it is an ongoing project and any intervention by NAB at this juncture will jeopardise the efforts of provision of LNG from the project of public/national importance. It is, therefore, decided [to close the] inquiry [at] our end."

However, the NAB inquiry had revealed that the management of Inter State Gas Systems (ISGS) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) selected M/s Engro as a successful bidder for LNG terminal at Karachi Port in a non-transparent manner.

The NAB inquiry found that the SSGCL signed a 15-year contract with a subsidiary company of Engro for re-gasification of LNG at fixed daily processing charges.

The government authorised the Pakistan State Oil to procure LNG on behalf of the SSGCL.

At the time of closure of the inquiry, incumbent Finance Minster Asad Umar had said: "NAB closed down inquiry against Khaqan Abbasi, though it was confirmed that irregularities had been committed in the award of the LNG contract."

However, NAB reopened the inquiry against Abbasi in October 2018.
In February, Abbasi appeared before NAB and recorded his statement.

In April, the government imposed a travel ban on Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, and five other persons in the same case.