ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday directed former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to appear on Friday (February 8) in a scandal related to the award of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) contract.
NAB is probing a case registered against Abbasi in 2015 for awarding an LNG import contract which caused a potential $2 billion loss to the national exchequer.
The case, which accuses the then petroleum minister Abbasi of “misusing his authority”, was registered on the complaint of Shahid Sattar – an energy expert and a former member of the Planning Commission and the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) board of directors.
According to NAB documents, the contract for the LNG import and distribution was awarded to Elengy Terminal in 2013 in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws.
The NAB documents at that time said it had been recommended that the names of all accused in the case, including Abbasi, should be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL). However, no such decision was taken.