Panel to pick up threads on high treason

Cabinet approves setting up of commission to prove allegations of sexual harassment against ex-NAB chairman

ISLAMABAD:

The federal cabinet on Friday formed a special committee to prepare suggestions regarding proceedings under Article 6 (high treason) in line with the apex court’s recent detailed judgment in which it had explained why it set aside the former National Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling on the voting on the no-trust motion against the then premier, Imran Khan.

It also unanimously passed a resolution through which the verdict of the Supreme Court in the suo motu notice case was welcomed.

The committee has been tasked to suggest measures for the implementation of the points raised in the top court’s judgment as well as measures that should be adopted in the future.
Addressing a news conference after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,

Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Federal Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar would head the committee. “It [committee] will have representation from all the coalition parties,” she added.

The special committee will formulate its recommendations and present them at the next cabinet meeting.

Marriyum while sharing details of the resolution said the detailed judgment was based on the supremacy of the Constitution. “It was a commendable decision which has buried the doctrine of necessity.” She added that the decision was an indictment against the former government and its officials.

“It has proven that the previous government violated the constitution.” She said the ruling of Qasim Suri, the ex-deputy speaker of the National Assembly, on April 3 against the no-confidence motion had been declared unconstitutional and the dissolution of the National Assembly null and void.

“The detailed judgment has made it clear that the narrative of the foreign conspiracy was false, fabricated and baseless,” she added. “Through the narrative a serious attempt was made to damage the economic security of the country as well as its crucial foreign interests.”

The minister said the resolution read that the court had rightly pointed out that if it was such a serious matter then why did the government not take any action about it then.

Rather, she added, the PTI government remained silent on it, adding that the National Security Committee had “rejected the conspiracy statement twice”.

Through the resolution, she said, the cabinet had agreed that it was time for the nation to decide that holding the Constitution in abeyance and derailing of democracy, parliament and rule of people must be thwarted forever.

The federal cabinet also approved in principle the setting up of an inquiry commission for a formal investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment against former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal by a woman.

Marriyum said the cabinet had discussed  the case of the woman, Tayyaba Gull, saying the law minister had been directed to propose the terms of reference of the commission and a three-member panel to investigate the issue.

The information minister said the cabinet had deliberated upon the case of the survivor of sexual harassment as well as how the evidence she provided was used to “blackmail” the former NAB chairman for achieving political objectives.

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Marriyum claimed that Gull, whose controversial video with the former NAB chairman had surfaced in 2019, had lodged her complaint on the Prime Minister’s Citizen Portal during the PTI government and she was told that her case had been forwarded to the Ministry of Human Rights.

Subsequently, the minister added, the PM’s Office had contacted Gull and told her to pay it a visit.
Marriyum said according to Gull, she was abducted and kept at the PM's House for 18 days.

“We have been listening to the tall claims about Imran Khan’s PM portal for four years,” the minister said. “A sexually harassed woman lodged a complaint on the portal but instead of taking any action she was abducted for 18 days.”

The minister further claimed that the PM’s Office took evidence from Gull and used it to blackmail the then NAB chairman.

She claimed that more complaints were also received from other women against Iqbal as he headed the commission on missing persons. “All the complaints will be made part of the inquiry.”

Gull’s case recently resurfaced after she recorded her statement against the former NAB chairman before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and alleged that NAB officials had stripped her naked, made videos and filed cases when she refused to comply with Iqbal’s “demands”.

Gull had named NAB Director General Shahzad Saleem, Kashif Masroor, Imran Dogar and several others as being involved in the case.

Following her statement, PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan had urged PM Shehbaz to remove or suspend Iqbal as head of the commission on missing persons. He had also warned Iqbal that he should not miss the next PAC hearing as he skipped the previous hearing saying he would attend after Eidul Azha.

The PAC chairman had ordered the suspension of the officials named in her statement until an inquiry was completed.

He had also directed incumbent NAB Chairman Zahir Shah to collect evidence and lodge FIRs as such brutality and criminality could not be tolerated.

Amnesty for foreigners

The cabinet, on the recommendation of the interior ministry, approved an amnesty scheme for foreigners residing in Pakistan beyond the stipulated period as many of them, who were arrested, could not even afford to pay the fines imposed on them.

Under this scheme, Marriyum said, about 408,000 foreigners present in Pakistan had been given a chance to leave the country for their homelands by December 31 this year.

“The information ministry will also launch a campaign in this regard in collaboration with the interior ministry.”

The cabinet approved the decision of its Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to import three million tonnes of wheat made during a meeting of the body held on July 5.

The cabinet also decided to clear the commercial goods stopped at ports after the import of luxury items was banned.

In this connection, the cabinet decided to clear the goods that arrived within two weeks after the ban by paying 5% duty and the goods that arrived after that by paying 15% duty.

During the cabinet meeting, the premier hoped that this would prove to be the last International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme for Pakistan as self-reliance and economic self-sufficiency should be the goal.

“We must take this programme seriously and put Pakistan on the path to economic self-reliance,” he said.