(Web Desk) – The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) has served notices on former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal and other officials in connection with the Tayyaba Gul harassment case.
According to a private media outlet, the notices were issued by FOSPAH Chairperson Fauzia Viqar on Saturday.
In 2022, Tayyaba Gul filed a case, alleging sexual harassment and rape by the former NAB chief and other officials of the anti-graft watchdog.
Gul, whose controversial video surfaced in 2019, accused Iqbal of sexual harassment during her visit to the anti-graft body’s office.
In her complaint, she claimed that her clothes were torn off, and she sustained bruises during a search directed by NAB Director General Shehzad Saleem.
Gul contended that Iqbal threatened to ruin her life and accused him of blackmail and coercion for "indecent acts" in return for processing her application. She alleged that she was taken to Lahore by investigation officer Imran Dogar and other NAB officials, where she was harassed and raped.
The former accountability watchdog chief dismissed Gul's accusations, citing her medical report as evidence of her being a "fraud." However, at the FOSPAH hearing, Gul accused Iqbal of influencing her application process through coercion.
Gul's statement prompted the FOSPAH to issue notices to Iqbal and 11 others, directing them to appear personally and record their statements on Jan 16 regarding the allegations against them.
It is noteworthy that Gul has also received a legal notice from NAB DG Saleem, seeking Rs100 million in damages.
Gul, in her statement, called for stern action against Iqbal, Saleem, Dogar and others involved, citing threats against her husband and the release of compromising videos.
The FOSPAH proceedings aim to address the serious allegations and gather statements from the accused parties.