Sh Rasheed appears before NAB investigation team in LNG scandal
Last updated on: 15 March,2019 10:27 pm
The minister said that he has to do a lot of work in railways due to former govt's corruption.
RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed on Friday has appeared before investigation team of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in liquefied natural gas (LNG) scandal. While talking to media after his appearance, the minister said that he has to do a lot of work in Pakistan Railways due to former government’s corruption. He alleged ex-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of playing main role in giving expensive contracts.
Sheikh Rasheed further called Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto as agent and advised Latif Khosa, Aitzaz Ahsan and Maula Baksh Chandio to take care of him. Earlier, NAB had summoned details of ex-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s assets till March 26. The apex court on September 10, 2018 directed the NAB to complete the inquiry against Abbasi and others for the alleged corruption in the LNG contract.
As the minister for petroleum and natural resources, he has been accused of granting contract on LNG Terminal to ETPL, Tri-partial agreement, LSA with EETPL and LNG import from Qatar etc.
In June 2018, the NAB approved inquiry against former premier Nawaz Sharif and Abbasi, who was the former minister for petroleum and natural resources at that time, in granting contract of LNG terminal for 15 years to their ‘favourite’ company.
It was also observed that this contract had allegedly caused a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer.
The NAB in January interrogated former finance minister Miftah Ismail in the same case.
According to NAB documents, the contract for the LNG import and distribution was awarded to the Elengy Terminal, a subsidiary of Engro, in 2013 in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws.