Islamabad (Web Desk): An accountability court on Tuesday withdrew the non-bailable arrest warrants against former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference.
Abbasi's lawyer Zafarullah filed a petition in court to cancel the arrest warrant.
Accepting the plea, Judge Nasir Javed withdrew the arrest warrants against the former premier and co-accused Uzma Adil Khan, who is the ex-chairperson of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
In the petition, Abbasi's lawyer said that the PML-N leader was coming to the court, however, his arrival was delayed. He added that the court issued a warrant for failure to appear on time.
Earlier today, an accountability court in Islamabad issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others in the LNG terminal case.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana issued the orders after the ex-prime minister failed to appear before the court .
The reference alleged that one LNG company had received benefits of over Rs21 billion because of the contract. The reference claimed that the national exchequer would suffer a Rs47bn loss by 2029 if the contract in question continued.
Shahid Abbasi, ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail, former managing director Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, ex-Ogra chairpersons Saeed Ahmed Khan and Uzma Adil Khan, Engro Group chairman Hussain Dawood, former chairman PQA Agha Jan Akhtar, ex-member Ogra Aamir Naseem, former managing director PSO Shahid M. Islam and PSO official Abdul Sammad were nominated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the reference.