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In a statement made on Tuesday, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi declared his decision not to participate in the upcoming general elections set for February 8, 2024. Addressing the media after his appearance in an Islamabad accountability court, the former PML-N leader expressed frustration, citing a four-year delay in his ongoing case and the absence of any witnesses during that period.
Abbasi criticized the constant appearance in accountability courts, attributing it to a mere addition in a meeting. He emphasized the apparent lack of understanding by the current NAB chairman about the destructive impact on people’s lives. The former prime minister also criticized the apex court, claiming it has selectively opened at night for certain high-profile cases while neglecting others pending for years.
Earlier, Abbasi’s lawyer appeared before Judge Muhammad Bashir in the LNG reference against him, pleading for an adjournment due to an intra-court appeal before the Supreme Court. The court has adjourned the hearing until February 13, 2024.
Abbasi is among the 15 accused in the LNG reference, filed by NAB on December 3, 2019. The reference implicated him, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, and former OGRA chairperson Uzma Adil Khan, alleging misuse of powers in the LNG import agreement, resulting in a purported loss of Rs47 billion to the national exchequer.
The charges against Abbasi and others include the illegal awarding of the LNG terminal contract for 15 years to a preferred company, violating established rules. The inquiry into the LNG contract case began in 2019, a year and a half after NAB Karachi closed a similar investigation against Abbasi related to a multi-billion-rupee contract for LNG import and distribution.
Read More: https://dusknews.com/category/politics/