Woman says ex-NAB chief threatened her: ‘I can destroy your life within a minute’

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee has asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to remove Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal from the post of Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances.

The PAC made this recommendation after Tayyaba Gul, a woman who was allegedly part of the 2021 video leak involving former NAB chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, appeared before the committee Thursday and made shocking revelations. She disclosed how she was harassed and videotaped, stripped naked in the NAB office after arrest, and how its former head had threatened her and said he could destroy her life within a minute.

The Public Accounts Committee had summoned Tayyaba Gul and Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal for Thursday but the latter did not appear before the committee and sent a letter instead, saying he could make it to the meeting only after the Eid holidays.

PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan said if he did not appear before the committee, his arrest warrants would be issued. He also directed NAB's Acting Chairman Zahir Shah to investigate the matter and present the report to the committee. He also ordered FIRs against former NAB officials, directors and others involved in this shocking incident.

Noor Alam said after the inquiry, recommendations would be sent to the prime minister and chief justice of Pakistan. officers concerned will be sent to the provincial government and they will also be questioned, so that action could be taken against them,” he said.

Tayyaba Gul also alleged she was mentally tortured and her video made. She told the committee that a false reference had been filed against her and her statement was not recorded. She said she had met Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal at the office of Commission of Missing Persons and her number was written on the request filed for the missing person. She said Javed Iqbal had started calling her repeatedly and when she forbade him, he said he could destroy her within a minute.

Tayyaba Gul said she and her husband had been arrested under directions from the former NAB chairman. “I was arrested by male officers and cannot even share the barbarity that I endured during the car ride,” she narrated.

She went on to say that she was transported to Lahore without a transit remand and her clothes were torn and her body had several bruises. Tayyaba Gul could not control her emotions in the PAC and while crying said that her room was monitored with a camera on top of her and her clothes were taken off by male staff. She said Javed Iqbal’s personal staff officer Rashid Wani from the missing persons commission was his facilitator while Deputy Director Abid, SHO Omar Draz, ASI Latif were also involved. “Neither I could file an FIR nor did any court listen to my plea,” she told the committee. She said even her husband was blackmailed by showing him the video.

Tayyaba Gul told the committee that 40 FIRs had been lodged against her and her husband, including allegations of rape and kidnapping of children. “The humiliation continued for three years from Islamabad to Jhang, Lahore and my name was put on the ECL,” she said. About her intention behind making the video, Tayyaba Gul responded that she had recorded the video because Javed Iqbal was a very powerful official and she wanted to expose him. She also presented the video to the PAC that was played in the meeting. She also told the committee that she had presented the evidence to Principal Secretary to PM Azam Khan.

After the statement of Tayyaba Gul, PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan said that former chairman Javed Iqbal would have to be heard as this matter was serious. “The FIA should name honest people who can investigate this case,” he said. The FIA representatives in the meeting said that the case was of different nature in different places.

Committee member Barjis Tahir said that the video was an evidence they had watched on the TV. “The role of agencies of my country will be discussed and how these institutions are running,” he remarked. He said the agencies always reported on a person being appointed to any high-level post but the question was whether any agency had given any report on Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal before appointing him as the NAB chairman. “It has become necessary to summon Javed Iqbal to the meeting,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee ordered the National Accountability Bureau to investigate and submit reports on BRT, Bank of Khyber, Billion Tree Tsunami and Malam Jabba cases to the committee within three months. In a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, Chairman PAC Noor Alam Khan directed Acting Chairman NAB Zahir Shah to reopen the BRT, Bank of Khyber, Billion Tree Tsunami and Malam Jabba cases and present the report to the PAC within three months.

The acting NAB chairman informed the committee that the Malam Jabba case had been closed. The PAC chairman instructed him to reopen this case and report to the committee. He said that the NAB has all files of these cases and asked about the Billion Tree case.

He said the Public Accounts Committee has ordered an immediate inquiry into the four cases and their reports be submitted within three months. Turning to the agenda of the committee about asset declaration by the officials of NAB, the PAC directed the bureau to submit details within 15-days.