PTI govt has failed to deliver: Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Tuesday that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government had failed to deliver as prices of wheat flour, sugar and other essential items had increased manifold and gone beyond of the reach of the common man.

Talking to journalists while leaving the accountability court which extended his judicial remand to Feb 21 in the LNG terminal reference, the senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader said Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar must tell the nation as to who were plundering the money of Pakistani people. He alleged that the PTI government was minting Rs2 billion daily from the public.

Mr Abbasi ruled out any improvement in economic affairs of the country even if there was an in-house change. He said this was not the change for which the people had voted for the PTI.

Accountability court judge Mohammad Azam Khan, while extending the judicial remand of Mr Abbasi, exempted former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil Sheikh Imranul Haq from personal appearance.

Judicial remand of former premier in LNG terminal reference extended to Feb 21

The National Account­ability Bureau (NAB) has submitted a report on absconding of accused Sha­hid Islam in the LNG terminal case. According to the prosecution, he had escaped to a foreign country.

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court had admitted for hearing a bail petition of former premier Abbasi and issued notices to NAB.

The PML-N leader is seeking post-arrest bail in the LNG terminal case. The IHC has already granted bail to former finance minister Miftah Ismail and Imranul Haq.

Barrister Zafarullah Khan, the counsel for Mr Abbasi, argued before the high court that his client had held the portfolios of prime minister and minister for petroleum and natural resources, was a graduate of the University of California with a degree in engineering and had a post-graduate degree in engineering management from George Washington University in the United States.

He said Mr Abbasi had been detained at Adiala jail’s death cell for more than 197 days, but it did not lower his morale. The counsel requested the court to order live coverage of the court proceedings so that people could see the “political engineering” of NAB and the government.

The petition contended that Mr Abbasi had a policy role in the LNG terminal project in his capacity as minister for petroleum under the instructions of the Economic Coordination Committee and the cabinet, and all approvals had been given by the cabinet.