ISLAMABAD: Awami Muslim League president Sheikh Rashid Ahmed filed on Wednesday a complaint with National Accoun­tability Bureau (NAB) against Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi regarding the alleged Rs220 billion irregularities in the award of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) contract in 2013.

According to the complaint, Mr Abbasi awarded the contract when he was minister for petroleum and natural gas.

“Sheikh Rashid Ahmed submitted the complaint to the NAB chairman against the award of LNG contract,” the bureau’s spokesman said.

The NAB chief assured Sheikh Rashid his complaint would be looked into in the light of relevant rules, regulations and laws.

Sheikh Rashid had filed a petition in the Supreme Court for opening the LNG case, but the apex court asked him to approach the appropriate forum (NAB).

Sheikh Rashid had already submitted the LNG reference against Prime Minister Abbasi before the Election Commission of Pakistan seeking his disqualification from office.

“PM Abbasi has not remained Sadiq and Ameen as he, among others, signed an agreement to buy LNG which involved irregularities of up to Rs200bn,” Sheikh Rashid had said in the petition.

According to media reports, Mr Abbasi has been cleared of any wrongdoing by NAB after a 17-month-long inquiry into alleged corruption of Rs220bn in LNG projects.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2018