Former NAB chief Iqbal to appear before body in harassment case

ISLAMABAD: In a major development in the Tayyaba Gul harassment case, the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) Saturday directed ex-National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal and others to appear in a personal capacity on January 16.

Conducting a hearing on Gul’s complaint after more than a year’s gap, FOSPAH Chairperson Fauzia Viqar issued notices to the former anti-graft watchdog’s head and 11 others who have been accused, by the complainant, of sexually harassing and raping her.

In 2022, Gul had filed a complaint against several NAB officials, including ex-chairman Iqbal, wherein it was claimed that she was sexually harassed by the then NAB head during her visit to the anti-graft body’s office.

“When I was presented before Director General (DG) NAB Shehzad Saleem, my clothes were torn off upon his directions and my body had to sustain bruises because of the search,” she said.

“Javed Iqbal would tell me that he will destroy my life within a minute,” Gul had told the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Claiming that she met the then-NAB chief during a meeting regarding missing persons, Gul lamented that she was allegedly filmed and the videos were shown to her husband.

Meanwhile, the former NAB head — citing Gul’s medical report submitted to the NAB Court of Special Judge Syed Najamul Hassan — termed her a “fraud” and dismissed the allegations levelled against him.

In her statement today at the FOSPAH, Gul accused Iqbal of blackmailing and coercing her for “indecent acts” in return for her application to be heard.

As per Gul, she was taken to Lahore after being arrested by investigation officer Imran Dogar, who along with other officials from the anti-graft watchdog, harassed and raped her.

She also claimed that upon her refusal to conform to such preposterous demands, the former NAB chairman not only threatened her with regards to not addressing her application but also that DG NAB Saleem arrested her after registering a false case against her on Iqbal’s orders.

It is to be noted that Gul has been served with a legal notice by Saleem seeking Rs100 million in a damages suit

“My husband was told to keep quiet [and was] threatened with the release of [my] videos,” Gul said in her statement, while calling for stern action to be taken against Iqbal, Saleem, Dogar, and others.

Upon recording Gul’s statement, the FOSPAH issued notices to the accused directing them to appear in a personal capacity and record their statements on January 16, in response to the allegations levelled against them.