Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted protective bail to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in a case related to alleged illegal appointments at the Pakistan State Oil (PSO). Chief Justice Athar Minallah headed a two-member bench and heard the applications and granted bail for three weeks. The bench also approved protective bail of former petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza in the same case. The ex-premier’s lawyer stated before the bench that an accountability court in Karachi has issued non-bailable warrants for his client’s arrest, adding he could not travel to Karachi due to the lockdown within the stipulated time period. He, therefore, requested the bench to grant him protective bail so that he can travel to Karachi to attend the trial court’s hearing. It merits mentioning that Mr Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was arrested in connection with the case in July last year. He is accused of awarding a 15-year contract for an LNG terminal allegedly when he was petroleum minister in former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet. On March 30, the Islamabad High Court had granted protective bail for four weeks to Abbasi and former petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza in a case pertaining to alleged illegal appointments of the managing director and deputy managing director of PSO. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the reference for appointing Sheikh Imranul Haq as managing director and Yaqoob Sattar as deputy managing director of PSO allegedly in violation of rules and regulations.