Illegal appointment: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi moves IHC for protective bail.

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking protective bail in an illegal appointment case.

The Islamabad High Court, on March 31, had granted four-week protective bail to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former secretary petroleum Arshad Mirza in a reference pertaining to the illegal appointment of managing director Pakistan State Oil (PSO).

Barrister Zafarullah Khan has filed the petition on Abbasi's behalf. In his plea, Shahid Khaqan stated that NAB Karachi had issued arrest warrants for him, while he is in Islamabad and cannot appear before the accountability court, Karachi, due to lockdown. Khaqan in his plea has requested IHC to grant him pre-arrest bail in NAB case till May 12.

The Accountability Court, Karachi had issued non-bailable warrants for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in a reference pertaining to illegal appointment of managing director PSO. The anti-graft watchdog filed second reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the illegal appoint of Imran-ul-Haq as PSO managing director in a Karachi accountability court.

NAB in December last year filed a reference in the accountability court against Mr Abbasi, Mr Ismail, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, former chairman of Ogra Saeed Ahmed Khan, Ogra chairperson Uzma Adil Khan, Engro...