Petition against LNG contract dismissed: SC draws lesson from PSM, Karkey, Reko Diq debacles

During the course of hearing of a petition filed by Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that the court doesn't want to hear cases of political nature. The NAB of today is independent enough to tackle such issues, he added. He observed that if the court decides to take up the case, it would restart the flow of political cases to apex court. He observed that the cases of political nature have caused embarrassment even on international level.
The Chief Justice remarked that they do not want to repeat the history of the Reko Diq, Karkey and Pakistan Steel Mills cases. He added that the petitioner ought to know what those decisions had done to Pakistan. Moreover, prior to yesterday's hearing in the apex court, PTI chief Imran Khan tweeted that "hopefully today details about the LNG deal will be made public in the SC. The nation desperately awaits as the secrecy surrounding this multi-billion dollar deal with Qatar has aroused all manner of suspicions".
BR staff reporter Khudayar Mohla adds: Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea against Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi over alleged embezzlement in the multibillion dollars liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract.
The apex court, however, said the petitioner may invoke the jurisdiction of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for remedy.
President Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had filed a plea through his counsel Sardar Latif Khosa, urging the apex court to disqualify incumbent Prime Minister Abbasi and issue directives to the chairman NAB to initiate an inquiry against him on grounds that Abbasi being then petroleum minister awarded the contract during 2015 in the absence of transparency in bidding.
Turning down the plea, a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that the court has nothing to do with the matter in hand. According to the court, the LNG contract has been signed between two governments and it is presumed that contract's conditions would have been fulfilled.
Responding to the allegations of Khosa that the incumbent government was not only violating the court orders but also misusing its power, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said it would be better if the counsel should apprise the court of facts of the case at the first instance.
Khosa submitted that there are huge reservoirs of natural gas in Pakistan, adding that new reserves are not being discovered or exploited under the contract.
However, after hearing the arguments of the petitioner's counsel, the bench dismissed the plea on grounds that the matter doesn't fall under the purview of Article 184(3) of the Constitution.
Sheikh Rashid had alleged that the government ignored directions of the apex court in the LNG contract which caused a dent of billions of dollars on the national exchequer.