The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed’s petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi over alleged corruption-marred Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) agreement.
ISLAMABAD, (Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2018) : The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed’s petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi over alleged corruption-marred Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) agreement. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar discarded the petition and rhetorically asked on what grounds does the petitioner wishes to disqualify the premier.
The top judge directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to look into the allegations leveled by the AML chief against PM Abbasi. Earlier on February 3, a plea filed by the Member of National Assembly (MNA) alleged the government of having ignored directions of the top court in LNG agreement that allegedly cost Pakistan billions of Dollars. The plea accused PM Abbasi, who then was serving as the petroleum minister, of pressurizing Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Managing Director (MD) and Director General (DG) of Sui Northern and resorting to graft which cost billions to the national treasury.
In addition to disqualification of the premier, AML chief had sought the top court to sack chief of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). He had claimed later that day in a media interaction that ousted premier Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz among all Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders are ‘material’ of prisons.
