Former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Arrested by NAB

LAHORE: Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is arrested by NAB on Thursday. He was arrested on the Thokar Niaz Baig interchange.

A 12-member National Accountability (NAB) team arrested Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. He was going to attend a press conference, accompanying him were PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal and Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N spokesperson.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been shifted to NAB lock-up in Lahore after going through medical check-up.

Abbasi surrendered after initially resisting the arrest by the NAB officials.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif taking to twitter said

My fellow countrymen, one more Prime Minister elected through your votes have been arrested. Whoever elected by your vote, will they face the same fate of injustice, insult, and unlawfulness?

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been arrested in a multi-billion-rupee case related to the award of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract.

An arrest warrant has also been signed for another PML-N leader, Miftah Ismail. He is also being questioned in the LNG import case.

A five-member team headed by Deputy Director Asad Janjua is headed to Islamabad to take former finance minister into custody.

READ MORE: State Bank of Pakistan – Monetary Policy Statement

NAB Arrest Warrant

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz also shared a NAB arrest warrant of Abbasi on twitter. The warrant id dated July 16. dated.

As per NAB arrest warrant, Khaqan Abbasi is accused of commission of the offense of corruption and corrupt practices under Section 9(a) of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999.”

He has been arrested under Section 18(e) and Section 24(a) of the NAO.

The arrest warrant also suggest, “said Shahid Khaqa Abbasi shall be produced before the court for authorization of detention for such period as may be necessary for finalization of the investigation”

Why NAB Took This Step

• The former PM was summoned before the bureau today in the LNG case but he did not appear.
• The team investigating Abbasi said, he had been asked 75 questions but he only answered 20.
• Despite giving the time he kept asking for more time to answer the questions.

PML-N Condemns The Arrest

Shehbaz Sharif, who is also facing NAB cases took to twitter and condemned the arrest of Abbasi.

We strongly condemn the arrest of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. The institution of NAB has become Imran Khan’s puppet. Our spirits cannot be wavered by such cheap tactics,”

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal also strongly condemned the arrest. Speaking to media he said he strongly protest the arrests that are made to silence who question the government.

He also asked does any civilian have a right to serve this country? If we do we are prosecuted.

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