IHC grants protective bail to former PM Shahid KhaqanAbbasi.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday granted protective bail to former prime minister Shahid KhaqanAbbasi in a reference filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against him for making illegal appointment.

A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice AtharMinallah and Justice MohsinAkhtarKayani conducted hearing of the petition and granted bail to Abbasi for three weeks.

The bench also accepted protective bail of former secretary petroleum ArshadMirza in the same matter.

The leader of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) approached the court through his counsel Barrister Zafarullah Khan and requested the court to grant protective bail to him so that the petitioner can approach the forums in Karachi for appropriate relief when the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown is lifted.

It was March 31 when the IHC had granted four-week protective bail to former prime minister Shahid KhaqanAbbasi and former secretary petroleum ArshadMirza in a reference pertaining to the illegal appointment of managing director Pakistan State Oil (PSO).

In his plea, Abbasi stated that the NAB Karachi had issued arrest warrants for him while he is in Islamabad and cannot appear before the accountability court, Karachi, due to lockdown.

The Accountability Court, Karachi had issued non-bailable warrants for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan in a reference pertaining to illegal appointment of managing director PSO.

The anti-graft watchdog filed second reference against the PML-N leader in the illegal appointment of Imran-ul-Haq as PSO managing director in a Karachi...