ISLAMABAD    -   Chairman Public Ac­counts Committee Noor Alam Khan on Thursday expressed his displea­sure over the absence of former Chairman

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Jus­tice (R) Javed Iqbal, who was summoned to explain his position over the allegations of harassment with females.

A meeting of PAC was held under the chairmanship of Noor Alam Khan at the Parliament House to discuss the matter re­lated to an application given by a lady level­ling allegations of harassment with her by the former Chairman NAB.

However, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal skipped his appearance before the commit­tee and Acting Chairman NAB Zahir Shah came to the PAC for a briefing.

The Chairman PAC expressed his ex­treme displeasure over the absence of for­mer Chairman NAB and directed to call him again in the next meeting and warned if he didn’t not come to the committee, it would issue arrest warrant to produce him be­fore it. During a PAC meeting on Wednes­day, Noor Alam Khan, quoting human rights activist Amina Masood Janjua, had accused former chairman NAB Javed Iqbal of harass­ing a lady. During the meeting, the Chairman PAC, while quoting Janjua, said Iqbal had ha­rassed a woman during one of the sessions of the Commission on Missing Persons.

He said that during the session, a wom­an appeared before Iqbal and — according to Janjua — he said to the woman that she “does not need to get married because she is very beautiful”.

Following a serious reaction from the oth­er committee members, who demanded a strict action against the former NAB chair­man, the PAC had summoned Justice Javed Iqbal in next meeting which he skipped.

Meanwhile, the Chairman PAC also ex­pressed his displeasure over the absence of the finance secretary from the last PAC held.

“You were in a meeting with the prime minister yesterday [and still you did not at­tend the PAC meeting]. You must take the PAC seriously,” Chairman Noor Alam Khan said to the finance secretary.

On the occasion, Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman submitted a plea against corruption in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pro­gramme which led to a heated argument be­tween PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan and PAC member Shibli Faraz.

“A copy of Senator Hilal’s issue should be provided before discussion on it in the com­mittee meeting,” Shibli Faraz demanded.

“Shibli Faraz Sahib! You are a member of the committee. I will not take dictation [from you],” Noor Alam Khan said to Shib­li Faraz. PAC member Sheikh Rohail Asghar also reprimanded Senator Shibli Faraz. “If you don’t discuss Senator Hilal’s public is­sue, whom are you representing here then?” Sheikh Rohail Asghar said to Shibli Faraz.

“There were irregularities in the funds re­leased by the previous government for the tribal areas,” Senator Hilal alleged.

“Money was released for development works in the tribal areas, but no work was done,” he added. Shibli Faraz wrote a dis­senting note over discussion on the issue of corruption in the SDGs programme. “There was corruption and misuse of power in the SDGs programme,” Noor Alam Khan said. “You should not make political statements,” Shibli Faraz asked Noor Alam Khan. “I am not making political statements. I am telling the facts,” Noor Alam Khan replied.