ISLAMABAD, Jan 27 (APP): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday extended stay order against the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for the removal of Justice (reted) Javed Iqbal as Chairman Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (CoIED) in Tayyaba Gull harassment case.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the cases challenging summon of the PAC and its recommendations to remove the petitioner from the post.
The Chief Justice remarked that it had to be viewed that whether such matters fell in the jurisdiction of PAC or not. The petitioner had given references of the verdicts of the top court and claimed that the PAC’s jurisdiction was only related to the financial affairs, he said.
Additional Attorney General Munawar Dogal said that in his opinion, this matter should be sent to the Parliament. The court said that the PAC had restored the employees of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council and the top court had declared that this was not the authority of PAC.
The Chief Justice remarked that the question was that whether the PAC could hear the matter of harassment. If this was so then it could also hear the murder case, he observed.
The Chief Justice further remarked that the Parliament’s responsibility was legislation and the courts’ job was to interpret the laws. The PAC should have send the matter to relevant forum if it had received any complaint, he said.
The court sought arguments from the lawyer of PAC on next hearing and adjourned the case till February 24.
