ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday gave a clean chit to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, and others in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) case.

The NAB filed a petition before Accountability Court judge Nasir Javed Rana seeking the withdrawal of the LNG reference against Abbasi and others.

The court, while hearing the case, approved the NAB’s plea regarding the withdrawal of the LNG case.

The former premier, Abbasi, appeared before the court along with his counsel. During the hearing, NAB Deputy Prosecutor Azhar Maqbool told the court that the bureau was withdrawing the reference against the former prime minister and others.

The NAB on December 4, 2019, filed an LNG case before the court.

Those who are nominated in the reference for allegedly misusing their authority include 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), Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), Aamir Naseem, former member oil Ogra, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson Ogra, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood.

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 bureau nominated Abbasi, Abdul 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, 2024