National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore Director General Shehzad Saleem rejected all allegations of complainant Tayyaba Gull and alleged there were around 50 cases against the complainant herself, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

He claimed that males are more subjected to harassment in comparison to females. 

DG NAB made a number of allegations against the Tayyaba Gull. Shehzad Saleem claimed that some people wanted to portray Tayyab Gull as Fatima Jinnah. 

He also said that NAB did not install any cameras in washrooms and that NAB as an institution always gave respect to the coming visitors. 

Shehzad Saleem said that he would not respond to the questions about the former chairman of NAB Javed Iqbal.   

Moreover, Public Account Committee (PAC) meeting was held on Wednesday in which Sheikh Ruhail Ashgar from PMLN said that courts must respect the parliament.  

Sheikh Rohail Asghar said that whether Islamabad High Court did not know about the legal powers of the PAC. 

“PAC chairman has the judicial powers,” he added,

Noor Alam Khan pointing toward the interim chairman of NAB Zahir Shah said that PAC members did not meet personally with him.

Noor Alam said that NAB as an institution and its officers are respectful of them. 

He tried to clear that PAC members did not have any personal or illegal demands from the NAB.  

Noor said that NAB was made in the martial law regime. 

PAC chairman said that one of the NAB’s DGs did not listen to anybody, to which, the NAB chairman replied that his DG has now approached the IHC. 

NAB DG Shehzad Saleem also spoke in the meeting.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued notices to the attorney general for Pakistan, seeking his assistance on the question, of whether or not the court issue a writ against the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Acting IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq heard a petition filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General Major (retd) Shehzad Saleem, against summoning by PAC on the harassment allegations.

The counsel for the petitioner pleaded that the function of the Public Accounts Committee was to audit government funds; therefore, it could not summon anyone on allegations of harassment. He requested to the court to suspend the PAC summon to the petitioner for July 18.

The PAC summons was issued after the committee heard a woman, Tayyaba Gull, whose controversial video with the former NAB chairman had surfaced in 2019. In her statement last week, she leveled serious allegations against NAB officials, including Shahzad Saleem.

During the hearing, the judge asked whether the court could issue a writ against PAC, whether or not the petition was admissible, and was PAC part of parliament. The court issued notice to the AGP, directing him to assist the court.

On the petitioner’s request to issue a stay order on the PAC summon, the court also issued notices. The hearing was adjourned till today. 

Reporter Usman Khan