Abbasi, who also remained petroleum minister, appeared before NAB's Combined Investigation Team (CIT) regarding LNG contract award, purchase of bullet proof vehicles for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference and illegal  appointment of Chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) cases.

The NAB on January 2 had converted an inquiry into investigation against Abbasi for alleged misuse of powers with respect to the LNG terminal project.

The Bureau approved launching an investigation against Abbasi who served as former petroleum minister, Arshad Mirza, former secretary petroleum, Sheikh Imran-ul-Haq, former managing director Pakistan State Oil (PSO), and other officials at its Executive Board Meeting (EBM) presided over by Chairman NAB Justice Javed Iqbal (retd) on January 2 this year.

The Supreme Court on September 10, 2018 had directed the NAB to complete inquiry into the matter and submit its report. The case was registered in 2015 on the complaint of Shahid Sattar, an energy expert at the NAB Karachi, against Abbasi for awarding the LNG import contract which allegedly caused a huge loss to the national exchequer.

In February this year, the Supreme Court fixed a plea filed by President Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, seeking disqualification of Abbasi over alleged corruption in the award of LNG import contract. The petition requested the Supreme Court to order NAB to take action against Abbasi in this regard.