Shehbaz Sharif condemns Shahid Khaqan's arrest

Shehbaz Sharif said that the NAB has become a tool of PM Imran Khan.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday strongly condemned the arrest of former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a multi-billion-rupee case related to the award of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract.

“The NAB has become [Prime Minister] Imran Khan’s tool that is being used for political victimisation,” Shehbaz stated in a tweet, adding that such tactics could not discourage them [his party].

NAB had summoned the former premier in the LNG case today but he did not appear before the bureau.

"You are requested to appear on 18-07-2019 at 10am at NAB Islamabad before Investigation Officer Malik Zubair Ahmed, deputy director, for discussion and recording your statement being minister of petroleum and natural resources on LNG terminal," read the notice served to Abbasi.

"You are advised that failing with this notice may entail penal consequences as provided in serial 2 of the schedule of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999."

The notice further read that the competent authority has taken cognizance of an offence committed by Abbasi under the provision of NAO 1999 on allegations of "deceitfully, fraudulently and dishonestly causing a loss to the national exchequer, misuse of authority, and obtaining pecuniary advantage through corrupt, dishonest and illegal means during the award of LNG Terminal-1... The investigations have revealed that you [Abbasi] are in possession of information/evidence regarding award of LNG Terminal-1 to M/s EETPT [a private firm] etc which relates to the commission of the said offence."

In April, the government imposed a travel ban on Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, and five other persons in the same case.

Case background

Abbasi has been detained as former minister for petroleum and natural resources in connection with an ongoing investigation into the ‘illegal’ award of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) contract with Qatar.

A questionnaire containing 70 queries had been prepared by the investigation team including: the reason of necessity of the contract, the person who had approved the conditions of the contract, holding the ministry of petroleum while being the prime minister of the state, the number of visits to Qatar for formulating the contract, and how could the contract be signed against rules and regulations and misuse of authority for approval of the contract. 

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.

In January, the NAB 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.