ISLAMABAD, Jan 29: Tauqir Sadiq, the fugitive former chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), was arrested in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday on the orders of a court.

Mr Sadiq is suspected of causing a loss of Rs83 billion to the national exchequer. He fled abroad after the Supreme Court declared his appointment illegal on Nov 25, 2011, and ordered the National Accountability Bureau to start investigation against him.

The NAB confirmed the arrest and said the suspect would be brought to Pakistan within two days.

A NAB official said the government of Pakistan had requested the court of Abu Dhabi to deport Mr Sadiq.

The Supreme Court had ordered the NAB last week to file two more references against the suspect. The court had observed that five people, including Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, were involved in illegal appointment of Tauqir Sadiq. The other order was against the officials who were creating hurdles in investigation and allegedly facilitated him to escape abroad.

Zafar Iqbal, the NAB spokesman, confirmed that the Abu Dhabi police had arrested Tauqir Sadiq.

“It is expected that legal procedure for his deportation will be completed within 48 hours and after that he will be brought to Pakistan,” he said.