ISLAMABAD: The accountability court of Islamabad on Friday allowed Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb to meet former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Adiala jail.

Ms Aurangzeb on Thursday had filed an application seeking the court’s permission for meeting Mr Abbasi who is on judicial remand in connection with the LNG terminal case.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Mr Abbasi in July in connection with the inquiry of the case. The former prime minister however did not engage a lawyer to contest his case and remained on physical remand till Sept 26. He is on judicial remand since then.

Mr Abbasi did not seek any post-arrest bail before the IHC and even refused to sign the bail petition, said a senior lawyer of the PML-N.When asked why Mr Abbasi was not filing a post-arrest bail petition, his sister Barrister Sadia Abbasi said he would file a petition soon.

When the judge of the accountability court asked if Mr Abbasi was not willing to meet anyone in the jail, Ms Aurangzeb replied: “We would make him agree to meet us if permission is granted by the judge.”

She said with the court permission they had met Mr Abbasi in the recent past when he was on physical remand under the custody of NAB.

Mr Abbasi is accused of awarding a 15-year contract for an LNG terminal against rules when he was the petroleum minister in former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2019