ISLAMABAD – In a recent development, an accountability court in Islamabad has reserved its order after hearing arguments from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the legal counsel representing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. The matter at hand pertains to the transfer of a corruption case to a special court.

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Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who is currently facing trial in the Islamabad Accountability Court-1 for alleged irregularities in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal signed with Qatar during his tenure as the energy minister, had filed an application seeking the transfer of the case to the court of Islamabad’s Special Judge Central.

Abbasi’s legal team argued that certain amendments made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) of 1999, which governs the operations of NAB, had resulted in the case falling under the jurisdiction of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). They contended that since cases related to the FIA are heard by the Special Judge Central in Islamabad, the case should be transferred accordingly.

During the proceedings, the NAB prosecutor agreed with the proposition put forth by Abbasi’s counsel, acknowledging that the case no longer fell within NAB’s jurisdiction. As cases related to the FIA are heard by the Special Judge Central, the prosecutor suggested that the case could be transferred to that court.

After hearing arguments from both parties, Islamabad Accountability Court-1 Judge Muhammad Bashir reserved his order, which is set to be unveiled on July 10. The court also granted Abbasi’s request for an exception, allowing him not to attend the day’s hearing.

The NAB had filed a reference against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and nine others on December 3, 2019, accusing them of misusing their powers in the LNG import agreement, resulting in a loss of Rs47 billion to the national exchequer.

Earlier, the anti-corruption watchdog had initiated an inquiry against Abbasi and his predecessor, Nawaz Sharif, regarding the alleged misuse of authority in 2018. Abbasi and a few others were accused of unlawfully awarding a 15-year LNG terminal contract to a company of their choice, thereby violating rules and regulations.

It is worth noting that the NAO, 1999 was amended by the PML-N-led coalition government through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Bill 2023, which subsequently became a law on May 30 of this year.

The outcome of the court’s decision on the transfer of Abbasi’s corruption case will shed light on the potential impact of the recent amendments to the NAB law and whether it will provide any advantage to the former Prime Minister.