Court releases Abbasi on parole for attending uncle's funeral

Dunya News

The court was told that the funeral of Abbasi's funeral would be held in Murree.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday released former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on a parole for attending funeral of his uncle.

As hearing of an application, filed by Abbasi’s sister, resumed, Judge Muhammad Bashir asked about location of the funeral being held. To this, the court was told that the funeral would be held in Murree.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor objected to former premier’s release; however the court declined the objection.

On September 12, the court had given the accountability watchdog a final extension in Abbasi and Miftah Ismail’s physical remand.

The PML-N leaders are accused of being involved in awarding a 15-year contract for an LNG terminal against the rules when Abbasi was petroleum minister in the cabinet of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The case was closed by NAB in 2016, but reopened in 2018.

Judge Bashir, who heard NAB’s pleas for extension in physical remand of Abbasi, Ismail and former Pakistan State Oil (PSO) managing director Sheikh Imranul Haq, had remarked that Abbasi had been in NAB custody for 56 days and "this is the final extension the court is giving in his remand".