ISLAMABAD: An Accountability Court on Tuesday acquitted former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others in liquid natural gas (LNG) import reference worth Rs 47 billions.
The court announced the verdict after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) withdrew its reference.
Accountability Judge, Nasir Javed Rana presided over the hearing wherein former prime minister and other accused were also in attendance.
The court announced its decision on plea moved by the NAB seeking to withdraw its reference.
During the course of proceeding, Deputy Prosecutor NAB Azhar Maqbool adopted the stance that the bureau wanted to withdraw the reference against the accused.
The other accused included former Port Qasim Authority (PQA) chairman Agha Jan Akhtar, former Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Chairman Saeed Ahmad Khan, former member Oil Ogra Amir Naseem, Usma Adil Khan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s son Abdullah Khaqan Abbasi in the case.
Former Managing Director PSO Shahid S Islam and Engro Group Chairman Hussain Dawood are also named in the reference.
It may be mentioned here that the NAB had arrested Abbasi in 2019 for alleged corruption in award of a multi-billion rupee import contract for LNG in 2013 when he served as the minister for petroleum and natural resources.
The NAB reference alleged the accused for awarding contract of LNG Terminal-1 through a non-transparent process.
The former prime minister was accused of misusing his authority being the then minister causing a loss worth billions of rupees.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi obtained post-arrest bail by the accountability court in 2021.
According to the reference, one company received benefits of over Rs 21 billion between March 2015 and September of this year.
Additionally, the reference stated that the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs 47 billion by 2029 because of the contract.