Ex-NAB chief Javed Iqbal summoned in Tayyaba Gul harassment case

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) Saturday issued notices to former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal in the Tayyaba Gul harassment case.

The notices were issued to Iqbal and 11 others as FOSPAH Chairperson Fauzia Viqar conducted the hearing of a case filed by Gul back in 2022, wherein she had complained of being subjected to sexual harassment by the former NAB head and other officials of the anti-graft watchdog.

In her complaint, Gul, whose controversial video with the ex-NAB chairman had surfaced in 2019, had levelled serious allegations against Iqbal, accusing him of sexual harassment during her visit to the anti-graft body’s office, an allegation vehemently denied by the former NAB head.

“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 on 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 on Saturday 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 not addressing her application but also that DG NAB Saleem arrested her after registering a false case on Iqbal’s orders. It may 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 personal capacity and record their statements on January 16, in response to the allegations levelled against them.