KARACHI: Senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Monday that if opposition leaders could be booked for treason then the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders should also be booked for flouting the Constitution.

Talking to journalists after attending the hearing of a case at an accountability court, Mr Abbasi said it seemed that the government had diverted its campaign against its opponents from corruption to treason.

Mr Abbasi deplored that the number of treason cases had surpassed corruption cases and the entire country was suffering from it.

“I also want to lodge a case against [prime minister] Imran Khan for flouting the Constitution. Will they [authorities] register it?” he asked, indirectly addressing the federal government’s authorities concerned.

Says NAB is being used only to bash opponents

Mr Abbasi said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had been reduced to a tool to bash opponents, adding that even the top courts had given observation against the efficiency of the anti-graft watchdog.

He said the PTI government could not handle NAB and asked how it would manage the country.

Earlier, Mr Abbasi and three other accused persons appeared before Accountability Court-II Judge Aaliya Latif Unnar.

The investigating officer produced a prosecution witness to record his statement in the case.

However, the judge adjourned the hearing till Nov 2 to record the statement of the witness, who was directed to appear before the court on the next date.

NAB had filed a reference in March against Mr Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and former petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza for allegedly misusing their authority in appointments of Sheikh Imranul Haq as managing director and Yaqoob Sattar as deputy managing director (finance) of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) in alleged violation of rules and regulations for appointments of chief executive officers in public sector enterprises.

In August, the court indicted Mr Abbasi, former petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza and two others in the case.

The anti-graft watchdog alleged that Mr Abbasi, when he was minister for petroleum and natural resources, and the then petroleum secretary had misused their authority while appointing the MD and deputy MD (finance) of the PSO.

The Supreme Court, while hearing a case in July 2018, had ordered NAB to investigate the appointment of both officials of the PSO. Later, an inquiry report was submitted to the apex court which said evidence showed that the appointment of Mr Haq was illegal and it had not been made in a transparent manner. The report further said that there was evidence that Mr Haq had a conflict of interest with the PSO due to an LNG agreement with his former employer (Engro Corporation).

NAB has accused Mr Haq of having misused his authority by promoting Mr Sattar to the post of deputy managing director within a month of his joining the PSO.

It claimed that the accused caused a loss of Rs138.96 million to the national exchequer and allegedly committed offences punishable under Sections 9(a), 4, 6 and 12 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2020