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ISLAMABAD: The accountability court has indicted former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) scam case.
The Islamabad accountability court has also indicted former finance minister Miftah Ismail and former MD PSO Sheikh Imranul Haq. All the accused pleaded not guilty in the accountability court in Islamabad.
As per details, the court indicted the accused and handed over the charge sheet. However, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi pleaded not guilty to the charges. The accountability court also summoned NAB witnesses to record their statements at the next hearing.
Fifteen accused have been named in the LNG reference. Abdullah Khaqan, Philip Natman, Chaudhry Aslam, Muhammad Amin, and Sana Sadiq are also among the accused.
Abdullah Khaqan, son of Shahid Khaqan, was also named in the supplementary reference. Chaudhry Aslam is the MD of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s airline while Philip Natman was hired as a consultant for LNG terminals.
It may be recalled that the former prime minister had finalized Rs. 16 billion agreement with Qatar for a period of 15 years. At that time, he was the federal minister of Petroleum.
Read more: LNG case: NAB summons Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today
Two petroleum officials of the ministry have become pardoned witnesses in the LNG case against their Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. In the previous PML-N government, then Abbasi had signed an agreement with Qatar to import LNG.
Abbasi, Miftah Ismail, and former PSO Managing Director Imran-ul-Haq and others are facing charges of corruption over awarding a LNG import contract allegedly at exorbitant rates in 2015 caused a huge loss to the national exchequer.
In 2013, Abbasi awarded LNG import and distribution contract to the Elengy Terminal in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws.
