Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad has decided to indict former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the LNG terminal reference on November 16.
Others named in the case include former finance minister Miftah Ismail and former PSO MD Imranul Haq.
The court has also summoned former OGRA chairperson Uzma Adil and Abbasi’s son Abdullah Khaqan and former SSGS MD Muhammad Amin for indictment. The case of two foreigners Philip Natman and Shina Sadiq will be heard separately, the court said.
Abbasi’s lawyer said that NAB has claimed that the project is still running in a loss. “How can a person be indicted in a case that is still ongoing?”
The judge said that Abbasi will be provided with all documents before the indictment. Abbasi, who served as the PM from August 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018, after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif , has been accused of awarding the LNG Terminal-1 contract in a non-transparent way.
The reference was filed on August 6.
NAB claimed that from 2013 to 2017, unexplained deposits of Rs1.4 billion and Rs1.2 billion were made to Abbasi and his son’s bank accounts.
Abbasi has claimed that he is being politically victimised by NAB. He hasn’t submitted his formal reply in the case as the reference is still being evaluated.
