Recommending clubbing together two petitions filed against the constitution of an inquiry commission against former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal in Tayyaba Gul sexual harassment case, a Lahore High Court (LHC) judge on Wednesday sent the case file back to the LHC chief justice (CJ).
During the hearing of the petition filed by Zaib Umair, a citizen, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Nasar Ahmad said he wanted to say something.
When Justice Shahid Waheed asked him to go ahead, he told him there was an identical petition pending in the LHC. “And whose petition is that?” the judge asked.
The AAG told him the petition was filed by none other than the ex-NAB chairman.
Justice Waheed asked him whether Justice (r) Javed had himself filed the petition. The AAG replied in affirmative, and told him that even a court had issued notices to respondents in the case.
“Which is the date of its hearing?” the judge questioned.
AAG Nasar replied that the date had not been fixed as yet.
Umair had argued in his petition that under articles 9 and 14 of the constitution, an inquiry commission could not be formed merely on somebody’s wish.
“Tayyaba had never filed a complaint in any court prior to the formation of the commission,” he said, and added, “Truth of the matter is that the present government wants to pressurize the ex-chief of the anti-corruption watchdog.”
Therefore, he added, it was prayed to the court to declare the constitution of the commission null and void.
