NAB Exonerates Shahid Khaqan Abbasi In LNG Probe

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Islamabad granted former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, and others exoneration in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference on Tuesday.

This decision follows NAB’s withdrawal of the corruption reference against the former prime minister, who has persistently called for dismantling the anti-corruption body due to alleged political victimization.

Read more: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Seeks ECP Party Registration

During the proceedings presided over by Accountability Court (AC) Judge Nasir Javed Rana, Abbasi appeared in court accompanied by his legal representatives.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor Azhar Maqbool informed the court that the bureau was retracting the reference against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others, stating, “The NAB is dropping the charges against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.”

The case revolves around allegations of corruption in awarding an LNG import contract at inflated rates in 2015, purportedly resulting in substantial financial losses to the national treasury. Former Prime Minister Abbasi, Miftah Ismail, and ex-Pakistan State Oil managing director Sheikh Imranul Haq were among the accused.

The reference, filed by NAB Rawalpindi in 2019, accused Abbasi of awarding the LNG import and distribution contract to the Elengy Terminal in 2013, allegedly in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant regulations.

The case underwent proceedings in an accountability court in Islamabad, during which Abbasi was arrested by NAB in 2020 and subsequently released on bail.