ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, on Wednesday demanded to make public, the inquiry report into the alleged kidnapping of the inspector general of police (IGP), Sindh.
Talking to media persons after appearing before Accountability Court in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) case, he demanded to make public the “Karachi incident” report, in order to bring facts before the public regarding the incident.
He said that if a former prime minister could be summoned to the court, then the inquiry report could also be made public to remove confusion.
Abbasi said that a summary of the inquiry report was released on Tuesday in which it was said that some officers acted over zealously and abducted the IGP Sindh. “We will also say in our case that we acted over zealously and started electricity projects,” he said.
“If an IGP can be abducted over zealously then authority can also be misused over zealously for addressing public problems.”
He said he had been accused of misuse of authority and there was no allegation of corruption against him.
He requested the court to conduct live proceedings of the case, and he would personally pay all the expenses in that regard. A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday said, “Court of Inquiry on the orders of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa pertaining to the issue of redress of Inspector General Police Sindh’s grievances, in the backdrop of 18 October 2020 Karachi incident, has been completed.”
The court of inquiry recommended the removal of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistan Ranger officials from their current assignments for further departmental proceedings and disposal at GHQ.
Earlier, during the hearing, Accountability Court-II judge Muhammad Azam Khan asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to address objections of the accused over documents submitted regarding the supplementary reference. Accused counsels and the NAB prosecutor should sit together and remove the objections, the court asked.
During the hearing, Abbasi’s counsel Barrister Zafarullah Khan told the court that the NAB did not provide some required documents with respect to the supplementary reference.
Abbasi’s counsel also raised objections over the documents of supplementary reference.
The court first decide about our objections then proceed further, he said.
At this, the court directed the NAB to remove objections of the defence counsel regarding documents of supplementary reference.
About two foreign-based accused including Managing Director M/s QED Consultants UK Phillip Nutman and chief executive officer of Maverick Advisory Sana Sadiq, the NAB prosecutor told the court that notices have been issued to both the accused through the Pakistan High Commission, and produced compliance report before the court.
The court directed the NAB prosecutor to submit original compliance report before it.
The judge said that foreign-based accused had been separated from the case for indictment of the other accused.
The defence counsel also told the court that a number of lawyers and accused persons had tested positive for the coronavirus.
At the moment the courtroom was jam-packed, which was not out of danger, he said, adding the coronavirus was spreading rapidly in the country.
At this, the judge said that “you are right we must be careful.”
Abbasi and other accused were present in the courtroom during the hearing.
The court adjourned hearing of the case till today (Thursday).
The NAB on August 6, filed a supplementary reference in the LNG case and nominated Abbasi, Abdul Khaqan Abbasi son of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, ex-managing director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA), and Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), in the supplementary reference.
Other accused include Aamir Naseem, former member oil OGRA, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson OGRA, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood Director Engro Corporation Limited, Hussain Dawood Chairman Engro Corporaton Limited, M/s QED Consultant UK through its MD Phillip Nutman, Maverick Advisory through its CEO Sana Sadiq, Muhammad Amin MD Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), and Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam.
The NAB had filed an interim reference in the LNG scam in December last year.
Those who are nominated in the reference for allegedly misusing their authority include, Abbasi, Ismail, ex-MD PSO Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman PQA, Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman OGRA, Aamir Naseem, former member oil OGRA, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson OGRA, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020