Ex-NAB chief moves IHC against PAC's orders of appearing before committee

• Former NAB chief asks IHC to declare minutes of PAC's July 7 meeting illegal.
• Petition states meeting discussed removing ex-NAB chief ashead of commission for missing persons.
• "It is beyond the committee's jurisdiction to make such a decision," adds petition.

Former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal Monday moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC)'s orders, asking him to appear before the committee.

The former NAB chief filed the petition in the court through President High Court Bar, Shoaib Shaheen.

On July 7, the PAC summoned Justice (retd) Iqbal on harassment charges. He was called on the complaint of a woman, Tayyaba Gul, who had written a letter to the PAC chairman, levelling harassment allegations against him, The News reported.

The PAC meeting had also discussed the allegations of Ms Amna Masood Janjua against the former NAB chairman with regard to harassment of women visiting the commission of missing persons headed by Iqbal.

In his petition, filed as the head of the commission for missing persons, Justice (retd) Iqbal said that the minutes of the meeting held by the PAC on July 7 should be declared illegal and the committee should be refrained from taking anydisciplinary action.

The petition stated that the meeting decided to remove the former NAB chief as the commission's head and to contact Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in this regard.

"It is beyond the committee's jurisdiction to make such a decision and the PAC's chairman is misusing his powers," stated the petition.

The ex-NAB chief made the secretary of the Interior Ministry, secretary of the National Assembly and the secretary of the PAC as parties in his application.