KARACHI: A long-term Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) contract that Pakistan signed with Qatar three years ago has landed two of the country’s top former officials, a former Prime Minister and Finance minister, into jail on suspicion of corruption- a charge that opposition leaders have termed the political victimization of political opponents.
The $16 billion sale and purchase agreement termed as a ‘game changer’ for Pakistan was signed between then Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chairman Qatargas, Saad Sherida, in February 2016, following frequent power outages and amid depleting gas resources. The deal was projected to meet the 20 percent increase in the demand of energy in the coming years, for the supply of up to 3.75 million tons of LNG every year for fifteen years. That 2016 deal also supplied Pakistan’s first LNG terminal.
Last month, Pakistan’s anti-graft agency, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) took Abbasi into custody on the grounds that he was stalling the investigation process by not responding to questions. Earlier this week, former finance minister Miftah Ismail was arrested in the case as well.
“This is nothing but victimization and harassment of political opponents,” PML-N Senator Saleem Zia, member of the senate’s Standing Committee on Petroleum, told Arab News.
“This despite the fact that Khaqan Abbasi has been openly cooperating with NAB,” he said, and added that as the case proceeds, “everything will be exposed.”
What that ‘everything’ is, still remains shrouded in mystery, as details of Pakistan’s accord with Qatar have not yet been made public. The arrests are adding to the uncertainty, with close to no information on the terms and conditions of the deal yet known.
As the opposition comes under increasing scrutiny by NAB, with former Prime Minister and PML-N party head Nawaz Sharif in jail for ten years, and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz arrested on Thursday, opposition leaders have accused the government of using the arrests to distract from its own incompetence.
“There is strong reaction from all parties and general public who believe that the government is making (arrests) to hide its incompetence. They should focus on other affairs because this is not going to solve the problems of the country including its economy,” Zia said.
In 2016, Pakistan’s then opposition parties had voiced their concern over the LNG deal made behind closed doors, and largely out of the public eye, while the PML-N government had defended the deal as Pakistan’s “best available option,” claiming it would save the country $1 billion every year.
“This agreement is being acknowledged globally as most cost effective deal for LNG. Pakistan will continue to import LNG from Qatar till 2032,” Abbasi had announced soon after signing the deal.
Following the deal, a contract for the country’s first LNG terminal was awarded to a local company which sparked criticism by opposition lawmakers who protested the lack of transparency.
According to NAB prosecutor, Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, the contract awarded to the favored local company has cost the country more than a billion rupees in losses.
“Due to this flawed contract, the national exchequer has suffered Rs. 1.54 billion losses so far,” he argued in Islamabad High Court on Wednesday ahead of Miftah Ismail’s arrest.
According to Haider Waheed, who is Ismail’s lawyer, the NAB prosecutor did not give any details of losses incurred beyond quoting the figure.
“They do not know about it, and there are no losses at all,” Waheed said.
When contacted for comment, NAB prosecutor, Sardar Muzaffar decline to comment on the break-up of the loss figure.
Experts keeping a close eye on developments say that the Qatar deal was thrown into doubts after analizing the terminals’ Return on Investment (RoI) and Return on equity (RoE). The re-gasification Terminal I and Terminal II have been set up in Karachi.
“The RoI and RoE on the investment in the LNG plant (Terminal I) is too high on both operational and non-operational level. That is a doubtful element and that is the pivotal point of the game,” Muzamil Aslam, senior economist, told Arab News. He added that no document was publicly available but the payment of a large amount as the penalty on non-utilization of terminals, suggested that returns were negotiated too high.
“There were positives and negatives of the LNG deal. Negative (points) being that the spot rates move down sometimes but (they) have made a long-term contract... to ensure supply. Negative is... why did you sign a fifteen year deal when you could have bought some quantity from the spot market and some through contract?” he said.
Additional Prosecutor General NAB, Nayyar Abbas Rizvi, said that irregularities that now led to the arrests were committed here on the Pakistan side, during the awarding of the contract to a local company, and also in the LNG deal with Qatar.
“There are many other things,” he said, but declined to give any further details about the high-profile case that yet remains shrouded in mystery.
How Qatar’s LNG deal landed former PM and Finance Chief in jail
How Qatar’s LNG deal landed former PM and Finance Chief in jail
- Details of $16 billion accord with Qatar in 2016 have not yet been made public
- Following the deal, a contract for the country’s first LNG terminal was awarded to awarded to the favoured local company - NAB
Pakistani investigation agency says has arrested human smuggler with India links
- Five Pakistani illegal migrants were killed this month when their boat capsized near a Greek island
- FIA says suspected human smuggler worked with an Indian in Azerbaijan to send people to Poland
KARACHI: Pakistani authorities on Friday announced the arrest of a human smuggler from Karachi, accusing him of working with an Indian agent to illegally send people to Europe, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need to eradicate the practice while presiding over a meeting in the federal capital.
The arrest follows a renewed government drive against human smuggling after five Pakistani nationals died in a boat tragedy near the Greek island of Gavdos earlier this month.
Last year, the issue of illegal migration to Europe drew national attention when hundreds of people, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned after their overcrowded vessel capsized off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos during a voyage from Libya.
The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) announcement of the arrest of Abdul Shakoor, the suspected human smuggler, has brought yet another illegal migration route to Europe under the spotlight, as it said the accused collaborated with an Indian national based in Central Asia.
“An Indian agent named Gautam Sharma, residing in Azerbaijan, was coordinating the illegal transportation of the suspects from Azerbaijan to Poland,” the FIA informed, adding three other suspects, Hasib Ahmed, Qaiser Ahmed and Usman Ali, hailing from different areas of Punjab province, were also arrested.
“Human smuggler Abdul Shakoor had made agreements to send the other suspects to Poland, charging $5,028.89 per person,” the statement added. “The suspects paid the agent an advance of $898.02 per person.”
The FIA also named the organizations that helped the suspects obtain visas.
Separately, the prime minister chaired a review meeting on measures to curb human smuggling, wherein he reviewed the report of a committee formed to investigate the latest migrant boat tragedy near Greece and present its findings.
Sharif instructed the formation of a committee, led by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, to develop sustainable solutions for tackling human smuggling.
“The Prime Minister directed that all individuals involved in the heinous human smuggling trade be arrested within a week and legal action be taken against them,” said an official statement circulated by his office after the meeting.
The prime minister questioned why no disciplinary action had been taken so far against complicit government officials facilitating smugglers and directed authorities to ensure stricter visa checks and compliance with travel regulations for all outbound migrants.
The meeting was also provided an update on the identification of Pakistani nationals involved in the boat capsize near Greece this month and the progress of repatriating their bodies.
Pakistan rescues nine crew members from Indian cargo vessel after distress alert
- The rescue followed another operation this month in which 12 Indian crew members were saved
- Incident reflects sporadic cooperation between the two nuclear rivals amid continuing tensions
KARACHI: The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) successfully rescued nine crew members from an Indian cargo vessel, according to an official statement, after receiving a distress alert from Mumbai.
The incident marks the second such rescue operation by the PMSA within a month, highlighting sporadic cooperation between the two nuclear-armed rivals amid continued tensions.
Diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan remain strained. Both sides also detain each other’s fishermen who inadvertently cross maritime boundaries, often leaving them to languish in prison for extended periods.
The distressed Indian vessel, Tajdare Haram, reportedly experienced water ingress approximately 120 nautical miles south of Karachi, forcing the crew to abandon ship and take refuge in a life raft.
“Upon receiving the distress alert from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) Mumbai, PMSA immediately launched a coordinated rescue effort,” the Pakistani agency announced in a statement Thursday.
“PMSA deployed an aircraft and directed nearby merchant vessels and PMSA ships to the scene of the incident,” it added. “The PMSA aircraft successfully located the survivors and facilitated the Indian Coast Guard vessel operating in nearby Indian waters for subsequent recovery.”
The rescue followed another operation earlier this month when the PMSA saved 12 Indian crew members from MSV Peeran-e-Peer in a similar situation.
The PMSA said it remained steadfast in its commitment to ensuring maritime safety and upholding international obligations under the Safety of Life at Sea Convention.
Pakistan PM orders uninterrupted gas supply amid complaints from domestic consumers
- Prime Minister Sharif orders reforms to the gas distribution system to resolve the issue permanently
- Officials claim improvement in gas load management, say power sector also getting sufficient supply
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called for reforms to the gas distribution system after complaints from domestic consumers about shortages, as he was briefed in a meeting that surplus regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) was available in the system.
Pakistan has long struggled with gas shortages, particularly during the winter months, as declining domestic production and increasing reliance on imports widen the supply-demand gap.
“Uninterrupted gas supply to domestic consumers during the winter must be ensured immediately,” the prime minister directed during the meeting. “Reforms should be introduced in the system’s structure to resolve this issue permanently.”
He maintained that ensuring gas supply to domestic consumers was the government’s top priority.
Officials briefed Sharif that, compared to the previous year, there has been an improvement in gas load management, resulting in reduced load shedding durations, adding that domestic consumers were currently receiving gas from 5 AM to 10 PM.
“The power sector is also being provided gas according to its demand,” the briefing noted. “Additionally, all gas fields in the country remain operational.
The officials also said the Sui Norther Gas Pipelines Limited had resolved 93 percent of consumer complaints, while Sui Souther Gas Company Limited’s resolution rate stood at 79 percent.
Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan province accounts for much of the country’s domestic gas production, though separatist violence in the region often leads to attacks on pipelines, disrupting supply.
Earlier this week, unidentified assailants near Quetta blew up a pipeline, cutting off supply to several areas in Balochistan.
Repairs commenced after the area was secured, but the incident caused significant inconvenience to residents of the province.
Nearly 400 Pakistani soldiers killed in counter-terrorism operations in 2024, military says
- Pakistani security forces conducted 59,775 intelligence-based operations this year, killing 925 militants, army says
- Pakistan is battling a resurgence of militant violence particularly in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces
ISLAMABAD: Nearly 400 Pakistani soldiers and over 900 militants have been killed in counter-terrorism operations this year, the Pakistan army said on Friday, as the South Asian nation battles a resurgence of militant violence.
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces have seen a surge in terror attacks in recent months, with groups like the Pakistani Taliban and other militant and separatist groups attacking security forces’ convoys and check posts and carrying out daily targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said security forces have conducted 59,775 intelligence-based operations this year, during which 925 militants had been killed and hundreds of others arrested.
“Over the last five years, this is the highest number of terrorists killed in a single year,” Chaudhry said at a media briefing, saying 73 of the militants killed were “high value targets.”
“During these counter-terrorism operations in year 2024, 383 brave officers and jawans embraced martyrdom.”
The Pakistani Taliban group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has increased attacks against Pakistani security forces mainly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, particularly since November 2022 when a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and the state broke down.
The southwestern Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran and is home to key Chinese Belt and Road Initiative projects, has also seen a surge in strikes by separatist ethnic militants, who say they are fighting an unfair distribution of the remote, impoverished province’s mineral wealth. The Pakistani state denies the allegation and says it is working for the uplift of local communities.
The attacks in KP have soured Pakistan’s ties with Kabul, with Islamabad frequently accusing the Taliban administration of sheltering and supporting militant groups. Afghan officials deny state complicity, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.
On Wednesday, the Afghan Taliban said at least 46 people had been killed in Pakistani airstrikes in the eastern border province of Paktika. The Pakistan army and government have not officially confirmed the strikes.
“Despite all of Pakistan’s efforts and repeatedly pointing out to the Afghan interim government on the state level, Fitna Al-Khwarij [TTP] and other terrorists have been carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan using Afghanistan’s soil,” Chaudhry said.
“Pakistan will leave no stone unturned in dismantling terrorist networks and safeguarding its citizens against terrorism.”
Markram leads South Africa to 180-5 in 1st Test against Pakistan
- Aiden Markram was batting on an attractive 81 off 123 balls before Pakistan hit back with two wickets in the latter half of the first session
- Pakistan were dismissed for 211 on Day 1 after Dane Paterson grabbed his second successive five-wicket haul, Corbin Bosch claimed 4-63
CENTURION: Opening batter Aiden Markram closed in on his eighth Test century and led South Africa to 180-5 at lunch on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan on Friday.
South Africa, which needs to win one of the two Test matches against Pakistan to seal a place in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s next year, trails the visitors by 31 on a pitch tailor-made for fast bowlers.
Markram was batting on an attractive 81 off 123 balls before Pakistan hit back with two wickets in the latter half of the first session with captain Temba Bavuma (31) and David Bedingham (30) both edging behind the wickets.
Wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne was yet to score but Markram stood tall in the first session and helped South Africa score 98 runs before lunch for the loss of two wickets.
Resuming on 82-3, Markram completed his half century with an exquisite cover driven boundary off Naseem Shah and stretched the fourth-wicket stand to 70 runs with Bavuma before Pakistan got its first breakthrough.
Aamer Jamal was rewarded for his persistent length balls to Bavuma as the South African skipper finally got a thick outside edge while going for a loose drive.
Bedingham counterattacked from the onset, smashing five boundaries in his 33-ball knock and also survived when Pakistan unsuccessfully went for an lbw television review against Naseem Shah’s full pitched delivery, which television replays suggested would have missed the leg stump.
However, Naseem didn’t have to wait long as Bedingham was beaten by some extra bounce and nicked it in the first slip in the penultimate over before lunch.
Pakistan was dismissed for 211 on Day 1 after Dane Paterson (5-61) grabbed his second successive five-wicket haul and debutant Corbin Bosch claimed 4-63, which included a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket.
