LNG reference: accountability court issues Shahid Khaqan’s acquittal order

ISLAMABAD: An Accountability Court in Islamabad has issued a written order acquitting former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the LNG (liquefied natural gas) reference, following the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) withdrawal of the case.

Judge Naseer Javed Rana’s order accepted the NAB’s request to withdraw the LNG reference, leading to the acquittal of the accused, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail, and others.

The NAB had previously withdrawn the reference against additional accused parties, such as former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Engro Chairman Hussain Dawood, Engro Board member Abdul Samad Dawood, and 13 others.

The order also discharged absconding suspects Shahid Islam, Flip Nattman, and Shana Sadiq from the reference.

Notably, on April 30, the NAB had retracted the LNG reference against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

During the case hearing at the accountability court in Islamabad, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was present alongside his legal team. Deputy Prosecutor Azhar Mqbool, representing NAB, confirmed the withdrawal of the reference against Abbasi and others, which the court subsequently approved.

In July 2019, NAB arrested Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in connection with the LNG case.

Background of the LNG Case

The NAB inquiry revealed that the administrative authorities of Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) and Inter-State Gas System had irregularly awarded the successful bidder status for the LNG terminal at Karachi Port to M/S Engro. Additionally, SSGCL had granted daily contracts for LNG regasification at a predetermined price to a subsidiary of Engro.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was also implicated in allegations of misusing authority by awarding LNG terminal contracts to 15 different companies.

In 2016, during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, NAB closed the inquiry against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after a regional board meeting in Karachi, only to revive it in 2019.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has consistently maintained his innocence, asserting that no irregularities were committed in the awarded contracts for the LNG terminal. He has also stressed that LNG imports were a critical necessity in 2013.