ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday extended the judicial remand of Pakistan’s former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi till February 21 in a case involving a multibillion-rupee liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract to Qatar.
Abbasi, who is also the vice president of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, was arrested in July last year for alleged misappropriation of funds in the LNG import deal. However, he denies the charge.
The former prime minister on Saturday filed a post-arrest bail petition in the Islamabad High Court, but it is yet to be taken up.
“The petitioner has been in the National Accountability Bureau’s detention for 191 days, and the bureau’s real motive is only to harass the petitioner now,” the plea argued. Abbasi’s party, the PML-N, has also maintained that the former prime minister is politically victimized.
Pakistan is currently receiving a supply of 500 million cubic feet per day of LNG from Qatar under a 15-year agreement at 13.37 percent of Brent crude price. It is a government-to-government agreement and the price can only be reviewed after 10 years of the contract.
NAB officials believe Abbasi’s alleged misappropriation of funds in the LNG case has caused a loss of about $2 billion to the national exchequer.
Abbasi is also investigated for allegedly granting a 15-year contract for an LNG terminal to a “favored” company. However, he rejects the allegations.
Ex-PM Abbasi’s judicial remand extended in Qatar LNG case
https://arab.news/cqtbp
Ex-PM Abbasi’s judicial remand extended in Qatar LNG case
- The former PM filed for a post-arrest bail in the case on Saturday
- The anti-graft body claims the LNG deal caused a loss of $2 billion to national exchequer
Pakistan, Oman navies discuss maritime security, ink agreement to share shipping data
- Visiting Oman royal navy commander calls on Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf in Islamabad
- White shipping agreement refers to exchange of prior information on movement of commercial ships
ISLAMABAD: The naval commanders of Pakistan and Oman discussed regional maritime security on Wednesday and signed an agreement to share shipping information with each other, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
The press release followed a meeting between Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf and the visiting Oman Royal Navy Commander Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Bin Mohsin Al Rahbi at Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.
Both navies maintain close professional relations, reflected in expert-level staff talks, joint training, bilateral exercises, and participation in multilateral exercises between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman.
“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security and bilateral naval cooperation were discussed,” the Pakistan Navy said.
The MoU was signed by both sides at a ceremony at the Naval Headquarters, the navy’s media wing confirmed.
“The MoU is aimed at establishing of guidelines and procedures for information sharing in order to enhance mutual awareness of white shipping,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
White shipping agreement refers to the exchange of prior information on the movement and identity of commercial non-military merchant vessels.
Information regarding the identity of vessels helps countries tackle potential threats from sea routes. This particularly helps in the development of a proper regional maritime domain awareness
The statement said Al Rahbi lauded Pakistan Navy’s professionalism and acknowledged its ongoing contributions to maritime security and regional stability.
Pakistan and Oman share geographical proximity and common maritime boundaries. Bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries span a wide range of areas, including economic cooperation, people-to-people contacts and strong defense ties.
In December, a Royal Navy flotilla from Oman visited Karachi to take part in the annual bilateral Thamar Al Tayyib (TAT) 2025 exercise.
Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman have been conducting the TAT series of exercises regularly since 1980.
