LNG case: Physical remand of Abbasi extended till 15 Aug

ISLAMABAD: The physical remand of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been extended for 15 days by the Accountability Court in liquefied natural gas (LNG) scandal on Thursday.

During the hearing, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented Khaqan Abbasi before the court and requested for his physical remand to Justice Muhammad Bashir.

Judge Bashir adjourned the hearing till August 15 by extending his physical remand.

Khaqan Abbasi is held responsible for an ongoing investigation into the ‘illegal’ award of the LNG contract with Qatar which caused big loss to the national funds. Sources said that he granted a tender worth Rs220 billion to a firm in which he himself held shares.

According to the law, such offence of corruption and corrupt practices come under section 9 (a) of the NAB, 1999.

Abbasi was arrested by NAB on July 18 in the same case.