ISLAMABAD: An Accountability Court issued notice to the NAB for arguments over a plea of repealing the LNG Reference on Wednesday.
The lawyers will argue whether to quash the LNG reference or not in the next hearing on October 04. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other accused appeared before the court in hearing of the reference yesterday.
Counsels of co-accused told the court that after amendments in the National Accountability Bureau law the situation has cleared.
“If any accused has submitted plea under the new NAB law,” the judge asked. “We are ready to submit a petition. This reference is non-maintainable for hearing,” Barrister Qasim Abbasi said. A petition seeking the court to dismiss the LNG reference was submitted in the court by a co-accused Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam.
“The reference is out of the mandate of the NAB, the accountability court is being requested to dismiss the reference as per the NAB law,” petitioner said in his plea.
The accountability bureau opposed the plea. “The cabinet had not given its approval for awarding the LNG contract,” NAB prosecutor said. “The accused got financial benefits from it,” prosecutor further argued. “The reference also have money laundering charges,” NAB lawyer said.
Ex-PM Abbasi, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, ex-chairperson of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Uzma Adil and others are named in the reference.
On November 16 last year, the court had indicted all the accused. They pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges. Subsequently, the court directed the NAB prosecution to furnish evidence to back up the charges against them. Former PM Abbasi is accused of awarding an LNG Terminal-I contract to a firm at Port Qasim Karachi, at exorbitant rates. –Agencies
