ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court on Monday adjourned Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case against former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others without proceedings as the tenure of Accountability Court-II judge Muhammad Azam Khan expired on October 27.
Judge Muhammad Azam Khan was appointed in October 2019 as the judge of AC-II, Islamabad – after it was left vacant after Judge Arshad Malik was removed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the wake of the video scandal case against him.
The tenure of judge Azam Khan expired on October 27 but so far no judge has been appointed.
Accountability Court-II judge Muhammad Azam Khan during his tenure heard the LNG case regarding the award of the LNG terminal to the ETPL that allegedly caused a loss of Rs 21.584 billion to the exchequer.
The NAB on December 4, 2019, filed an LNG case before the Accountability Court.
Those who are nominated in the reference for allegedly misusing their authority included Abbasi, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, former managing director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA), Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), Aamir Naseem, former member oil Ogra, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson Ogra, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood.
The bureau on August 6, 2020, filed a supplementary reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others, in connection with the LNG case.
The bureau has nominated Abbasi, Abdul Khaqan Abbasi son of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, former MD PSO Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman PQA, and Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Ogra, in the supplementary reference.
The other accused included, Aamir Naseem, former member oil Ogra, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson Ogra, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood Director Engro Corporation Limited, Hussain Dawood Chairman Engro Corporation Limited, M/s QED Consultant UK through its MD Phillip Nutman, Maverick Advisory through its CEO Sana Sadiq, Muhammad Amin MD Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), and Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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