LHC rejects plea to stop probe against ex-NAB chief

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Thursday declined a request to stop an inquiry into the harassment allegations against former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal.

Justice Muhammad Shan Gul heard the petition, filed by the former NAB chairman, challenging the formation of a commission by the federal government to probe the allegations levelled by Tayyaba Gul against him.

The court also issued notices to the federal government and others on the petition and sought replies till August 11. The petitioner’s counsel, Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, argued before the court that the case was already pending before an accountability court and the Federal Shariat Court. He submitted that the federal government had also formed a commission to probe the allegations though it was pending in courts.

He contended that the formation of the inquiry commission was illegal and requested the court to set aside the notification for the formation of commission, besides pleading for a stay order till the final decision on the petition.

However, an assistant attorney general objected to the maintainability of the petition, saying that all respondents belonged to Islamabad. He pleaded with the court to dismiss the petition.

The court, after hearing the arguments, declined the request of the petitioner’s counsel to stop the inquiry as well as the law officer’s plea for dismissing the petition. The court also ordered impleading Tayyaba Gul as a respondent in the case.