ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court, on Monday, reserved its judgment on the pleas of the accused former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference in which they challenged the territorial jurisdiction of the court in view of the amendments made by the coalition government to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.

The Accountability Court judge, Muhammad Bashir, while hearing the case reserved the verdict after both the defence and the prosecution completed their arguments on the applications filed by the accused of the LNG case against Abbasi, his son and former finance minister Miftah Ismail, and others, in which, they challenged the jurisdiction of the NAB court under the amendment made in the NAB law till July 10.

At the start of the hearing, Abbasi’s counsel filed an application seeking exemption of his client from personal appearance before the court, which the court approved.

The defence counsel, while arguing before the court, said the LNG reference did not fall under the jurisdiction of the court after the amendments in the NAB law.

During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor told the court following the amendments in the NAB law, the same case falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), therefore, the trial of the LNG case be transferred to the court of Special Judge Central, Islamabad.

The court, after hearing the arguments of both parties, reserved its judgment and fixed July 10 for the announcement of its verdict.

The NAB on December 4, 2019, filed the LNG case before the Accountability Court.

The bureau on August 6, 2020, filed a supplementary reference against former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others, in connection with the LNG case.

The anti-graft body had nominated Abbasi, Abdullah Khaqan Abbasi son of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, ex-MD PSO Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman PQA, and Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Ogra, in the supplementary reference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023