NAB seeks security as approvers ‘receive threats’ in LNG case

NAB files assets reference against PPP’s Syed Khursheed Shah The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday sought security from the higher authorities for its approvers in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) scam case as they allegedly received threats before testifying in the court. The anti-corruption watchdog wrote letters to Interior Ministry, Inspector General (IG) Islamabad police, chief secretary and Inspector General Sindh police for providing security to two suspects after they turned approvers in LNG scam case. The letter read that additional security arrangement should be made for former managing-director of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) Zuhair Siddiqui and Inter-State Gas Systems (ISGS) MD Mubeen Saulat. It is said that the two persons are key witnesses in the case after they turned approvers after the formal permission of NAB chairman Justice Retd Javed Iqbal. The approvers sought additional security arrangements following threats, the letter said. It emerged earlier that the anti-graft watchdog will produce an overall 59 witnesses in the court where the petitioner Sheikh Rasheed will be the first witness in the case. On December 12, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference again after addressing objections raised by the accountability court. The reference was filed against 10 accused including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail and others. The registrar of the accountability court had earlier raised objections over the reference submitted in Islamabad accountability court. The NAB reference has been comprised of 8000 pages and shifted to the accountability court II from the court number I of Islamabad. The court has accepted the reference for hearing. Accountability Judge Azam Khan will hear the LNG reference. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had been arrested in connection with the case in July. He is accused of awarding a 15-year contract for a terminal against the rules when he was the petroleum minister in former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet. The case was closed by NAB in 2016 but then reopened in 2018. Separately, former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s wife has challenged the decision of the auction of their house in Islamabad High Court (IHC). Tabassum Ishaq Dar filed petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the decision of the accountability court. An accountability court in Islamabad had ordered auction of Dar’s house in Gulberg Lahore in its decision on November 07. The petitioner said that the house in Gulberg III is her property, which was gifted by Ishaq Dar to her on February 14, 1989. “The accountability court has issued order without inquiring about my claim over the house,” petitioner said. The petitioner pleaded to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to declare the decision of the accountability court as null and void. Ishaq Dar wife (Tabassum Dar) also requested the court to issue orders to cancel seizure of the said property. Earlier, the accountability court had turned down the plea against the auctioning of former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s property in Gulberg Lahore. Accountability court in its decision said that the petitioner failed to substantiate her claim that Mr Dar had gifted the house to her. Following the filing of a reference against the former finance minister in the accountability court last year, the National Accountability Bureau had seized all of Dar’s movable and immovable assets, including a house in Gulberg III, Lahore. On the other hand, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday filed assets beyond means reference against Pakistan People’s Party leader Syed Khursheed Shah. Shah has been accused of financial irregularities of worth 1.4 billion rupees, the sources within the NAB said. As many as 18 people including Syed Khursheed Shah have been named in the reference. The NAB has nominated two wives of the PPP stalwart, his two sons, Nisar Mughal, Saqib Awan and others in the reference. On December 17, an accountability court had granted bail petition of the former leader of opposition Syed Khursheed Shah in assets beyond means reference. Meanwhile, The National Accountability Bureau has challenged the decision of his release in Sindh High Court. Shah talking to media had said that he had cooperated in the NAB inquiry and will continue to do so in future. He said he will fight his case with legal means. Last week, the NAB had decided to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe into the case against Syed Khursheed Shah. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader is facing charges of corruption in assets beyond means of income reference.