ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties was standing firm on its principle and narrative.

Talking to reporters after appearing before the Accountability Court in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case, he said the PDM had a single point narrative that the country should be run according to the law and the constitution.

“We believe that through this narrative, supremacy of the constitution and the law would be ensured,” he said, adding that through the PDM’s narrative problems faced by the people would be resolved. He said the government had paralysed the parliament. The rising prices of petrol and electricity have made the lives of people difficult but the rulers are unconcerned.

“Tax of Rs15 was imposed on petroleum products during the PML-N tenure which is increased by the present government up to Rs45,” he added. Abbasi said the petrol price should be less than Rs70 per litre as per the price in the international market. Prime Minister Imran Khan wasted the nation’s time by editing video of the phone calls that he received yesterday, he claimed. He said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was itself accountable.

“The NAB chairman is adamant to lodge unfair cases against the opposition leaders,” he said. Earlier, he along with his son appeared before Accountability Court-II judge Muhammad Azam Khan in the LNG case. Abbasi’s counsel Barrister Zafarrullah Khan crossed examined and asked different questions from the prosecution witness, Muhammad Hassan, an assistant director of the Ministry of Petroleum about the documents he produced before the court related to the case. The witness told the court that he knew Dr Nawaz Ahmad Virk whose attested copy of rules, he submitted before the court.

Virk remained my immediate boss in 2018, he said.

The witness said he did not know Nazik Ijaz, Director General (DG) legal affairs Pakistan State Oil (PSO) attested copy of whose letter dated December 14, 2016 he produced before this Court.

“I have worked with Nawaz Ahmed Virk, deputy director LNG,” he said.

The court adjourned hearing of the case till February 9, after Abbasi’s counsel completed cross examination of the witness.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021