Miftah Ismail files plea for better prison facilities

Counsel claims Miftah suffers from a cardiac ailment and other health issues

ISLAMABAD: Former finance minister Miftah Ismail filed an application in the accountability court for better prison facilities on Thursday.

Miftah is under the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) denied him bail extension in the LNG scandal case.

The counsel of the former finance minister also requested a medical check-up of the PML-N leader and submitted a medical report.

He added that Miftah suffers from a cardiac ailment and other health issues and maintained that jail authorities should provide the former minister with better jail facilities.

The accused's counsel also requested the court for provision of a television set and visitation rights.

Abbasi, Ismail’s judicial remand extended till Oct 28

 

LNG scandal

In 2018, the anti-corruption watchdog had initiated an inquiry against former premiers Abbasi and Nawaz Sharif over alleged misuse of authority.

Abbasi and others had been accused of illegally awarding LNG terminal contract for a period of 15 years to a company of their liking in violation of defined rules, ‘thus inflicting billions of rupees losses to the national exchequer’.

The inquiry was initiated after the NAB Karachi office closed a similar inquiry against Abbasi for his alleged role in the award of a multi-billion rupee contract for the import and distribution of LNG.

The PML-N government in its tenure from 2013-2018 completed two LNG terminals while just days before completion of its term on May 31, it stopped the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) from going ahead with bidding for the allocation of a site for constructing a third terminal.