Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi acquitted in LNG reference case

ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court on Tuesday has acquitted former prime minister Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi in the LNG reference case.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) lawyer on the onset of the hearing on Tuesday told the court that they are dropping all charges against Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi in the LNG reference case.

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After NAB’s reference was withdrawn, the accountability court acquitted all the accused, including former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Earlier, NAB had decided to withdraw the LNG reference against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

It is reported that the decision to end the reference by NAB has been taken on merit.

The request to remove the reference was made by the former head of Pakistan State Oil (PSO), added the report.

It is pertinent to note that NAB arrested Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the same case in 2019.

In the reference, NAB claimed to have caused a loss of 21 billion rupees to the national exchequer.

It may be mentioned her that the reference had named former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, his son Abdullah Khaqan Abbasi, ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail, Sheikh Imran ul Haq, Agha Jan Akhter, Saeed Ahmed Khan, Aamir Naseem, Uzma Adil Khan, Shahid M. Aslam, Hussain Daood, Abdul Saman Dawood, Muhammad Amin and Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam as accused.

The accused had challenged the maintainability of the reference in accountability court after amendments in the NAB law.