ISLAMABAD - Chairman Public Accounts Committee Noor Alam Khan on Thursday expressed his displeasure over the absence of former Chairman
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Justice (R) Javed Iqbal, who was summoned to explain his position over the allegations of harassment with females.
A meeting of PAC was held under the chairmanship of Noor Alam Khan at the Parliament House to discuss the matter related to an application given by a lady levelling allegations of harassment with her by the former Chairman NAB.
However, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal skipped his appearance before the committee and Acting Chairman NAB Zahir Shah came to the PAC for a briefing.
The Chairman PAC expressed his extreme displeasure over the absence of former Chairman NAB and directed to call him again in the next meeting and warned if he didn’t not come to the committee, it would issue arrest warrant to produce him before it. During a PAC meeting on Wednesday, Noor Alam Khan, quoting human rights activist Amina Masood Janjua, had accused former chairman NAB Javed Iqbal of harassing a lady. During the meeting, the Chairman PAC, while quoting Janjua, said Iqbal had harassed a woman during one of the sessions of the Commission on Missing Persons.
He said that during the session, a woman appeared before Iqbal and — according to Janjua — he said to the woman that she “does not need to get married because she is very beautiful”.
Following a serious reaction from the other committee members, who demanded a strict action against the former NAB chairman, the PAC had summoned Justice Javed Iqbal in next meeting which he skipped.
Meanwhile, the Chairman PAC also expressed his displeasure over the absence of the finance secretary from the last PAC held.
“You were in a meeting with the prime minister yesterday [and still you did not attend the PAC meeting]. You must take the PAC seriously,” Chairman Noor Alam Khan said to the finance secretary.
On the occasion, Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman submitted a plea against corruption in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programme which led to a heated argument between PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan and PAC member Shibli Faraz.
“A copy of Senator Hilal’s issue should be provided before discussion on it in the committee meeting,” Shibli Faraz demanded.
“Shibli Faraz Sahib! You are a member of the committee. I will not take dictation [from you],” Noor Alam Khan said to Shibli Faraz. PAC member Sheikh Rohail Asghar also reprimanded Senator Shibli Faraz. “If you don’t discuss Senator Hilal’s public issue, whom are you representing here then?” Sheikh Rohail Asghar said to Shibli Faraz.
“There were irregularities in the funds released by the previous government for the tribal areas,” Senator Hilal alleged.
“Money was released for development works in the tribal areas, but no work was done,” he added. Shibli Faraz wrote a dissenting note over discussion on the issue of corruption in the SDGs programme. “There was corruption and misuse of power in the SDGs programme,” Noor Alam Khan said. “You should not make political statements,” Shibli Faraz asked Noor Alam Khan. “I am not making political statements. I am telling the facts,” Noor Alam Khan replied.