Islamabad: In the Taiba Gul harassment case, the High Court questioned the jurisdiction of the Public Accounts Committee.
Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court Amir Farooq heard the applications of Javed Iqbal and Shehzad Saleem against the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee on harassment allegations against former Chairman and DG NAB.
The Chief Justice inquired at the beginning of the hearing that the question is whether the Public Accounts Committee has jurisdiction over this matter. The Additional Attorney General replied that I think the matter can go back to Parliament. The Chief Justice asked whether the Public Accounts Committee will investigate the murder case tomorrow.
The Chief Justice remarked that the employees of the Agriculture Research Council were reinstated by the PAC. The former Chief Justice ruled that it was not the authority of the PAC. Can Public Accounts Committee also summon Zahir Jafar in Noor Muqaddam case? Can the committee call him and ask him whether he killed or not?
Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Amir Farooq said that the judiciary will not interfere in the work of the executive and the executive will not interfere in the work of the judiciary. The problem is that no one understands the rule of law for what it is. Rule of law is not only for judiciary but for everyone.
He said that we receive endless letters every day, some from Sukkur, some from Nawabshah, some say my meter has been removed, some say my child has been taken away, but we do not have jurisdiction, so we cannot do anything about it. . If the letter of harassment had come to the Public Accounts Committee, it would have looked at the jurisdiction. PAC must look into the issues of recovery of NAB, but how is the committee looking into the issues of harassment against the former chairman?
The court said that even on financial irregularities, the Public Accounts Committee itself cannot punish but will send the matter for enquiry. Later, the court adjourned till February 24 for further hearing on the case against the jurisdiction of the Public Accounts Committee.