Court issues ‘non-bailable’ arrest warrant for Khaqan Abbasi

Islamabad: An Accountability Court (AC) Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, after he failed to appear before it in LNG terminal case.

According to details, Judge Nasir Javed has issued a warrant for not filing an exemption plea despite his absence in the case.

The accountability court summoned Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the LNG case today, but his lawyer did not appear on his behalf. 

The court has also issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for co-accused Uzma Adil. 

LNG reference

The former premier is accused of awarding an LNG Terminal-I contract to a firm at Port Qasim Karachi, at exorbitant rates.

Mr. Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, ex-chairperson of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Uzma Adil and others are named in the reference. 

The court had indicted all the accused in the case. They pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges. 

Subsequently, the court directed the NAB prosecution to furnish evidence to back up the charges against them.