ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) on Saturday issued notifications to the former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, in connection with the Tayyaba Gul harassment case.
The notices were sent to Iqbal and 11 others as FOSPAH Chairperson Fauzia Viqar conducted a hearing on a case filed by Gul in 2022. In her complaint, Gul alleged sexual harassment and rape by the former NAB head and other officials of the anti-graft watchdog.
The case originated from a controversial video featuring Gul and the ex-NAB chairman in 2019. In her complaint, Gul made serious accusations against Iqbal, claiming he sexually harassed her during her visit to the NAB office. This allegation was vehemently denied by the former NAB head.
Gul recounted her experience, stating, “When I was presented before Director General (DG) NAB Shehzad Saleem, my clothes were torn off upon his directions, and my body sustained bruises due to the search.” She further claimed that Iqbal threatened to ruin her life in a minute.
Gul, during her statement to the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), asserted that she met the then-NAB chief during a meeting about missing persons and was allegedly filmed, with the videos shown to her husband.
The former NAB head, citing Gul’s medical report submitted to the NAB Court, labeled her a “fraud” and dismissed the allegations against him.
At the FOSPAH hearing, Gul accused Iqbal of blackmailing and coercing her for “indecent acts” in exchange for processing her application. She claimed that after being arrested by investigation officer Imran Dogar, she was taken to Lahore, where she was harassed and raped by Dogar and other officials.
Refusing to comply with these demands, Gul asserted that the former NAB chairman not only threatened her about her application but also that DG NAB Saleem arrested her on false charges ordered by Iqbal.
It is noteworthy that Saleem served Gul with a legal notice, seeking Rs100 million in damages.
Gul, in her statement, revealed, “My husband was told to keep quiet [and was] threatened with the release of [my] videos.” She urged stern action against Iqbal, Saleem, Dogar, and others.
After recording Gul’s statement, FOSPAH issued notices to the accused, instructing them to appear personally and record their statements on January 16 in response to the allegations.
