Daily Times

An Accountability Court (AC) on Tuesday adjourned hearing till October 12, in LNG reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others. The defence lawyer during the hearing continued cross-examination with NAB witness Syed Asim Ali Tirmidhi. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, NAB Prosecutor Usman Mirza, witnesses Syed Asim Ali Tirmidhi and Muhammad Farhan appeared before the court of AC-II Judge Muhammad Azam Khan. Barrister Zafarullah, counsel for Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, cross-examined NAB witness Syed Asim Tirmidhi. The NAB witness took the position during cross-examination that the board consisted of 11 to 14 members but he didn’t know who attended the board meeting. The decision to import LNG from the private sector was taken on the instructions of the then president and prime minister, he said. Barrister Zafarullah asked which president and prime minister had given instructions regarding LNG project? The witness replied that he did not remember who they were at that time. Syed Asim Tarimzi said that LNG was brought on fast track through Energy Security Action Plan but he did not know about it. The NAB witness added that he studied in the United States and his father took out a loan for it.