The federal cabinet on Friday decided to form a commission to investigate the case of Tayyaba Gul, who accused NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal of sexual harassment, the government spokesperson announced.

“Gul, who lodged a complaint on the PM portal, was kept at the PM House for 18 days,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said while briefing the media on cabinet decisions. “The PM House is involved in harassing the woman.”

An independent commission would be formed which would present its terms of reference, she added.

Gul was involved in a leaked video clip showing alleged clandestine relations between her and Iqbal in 2019. Gul, and her husband, Mohammad Farooq, were facing inquiries in NAB when the scandal surfaced.

She had also appeared before the Public Accounts Committee, which after the meeting sent its recommendations to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the removal of the former NAB chief, as the chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances.

Gul in a recent interview with Geo News had alleged that former prime minister Imran Khan had used her videos to have his NAB cases closed and blackmailed the opposition.

“[Former] NAB chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal blackmailed the woman,” Aurangzeb said, “everything will be made public.”

Committee formed to deliberate treason proceedings against PTI leaders

Aurangzeb said that the cabinet has decided to constitute a special committee under the leadership of law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to deliberate whether action should be taken against the PTI leadership under Article 6 (high treason) of the Constitution.

The decision comes after the Supreme Court’s detailed judgement on dismissing former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri’s controversial ruling on the no-trust move against the then prime minister Imran Khan.

“Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason,” said the Article 6.

“Whether these acts attract Article 6 of the Constitution (high treason) is also left open to be determined by the parliamentarians to ponder should they leave open the doors for such unconstitutional acts or take suitable measures to stop such like mess in future,” Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel said in an additional note in the judgement.

Duty on luxury items stuck at ports

The cabinet has decided that items received within two weeks after the import ban was enforced in May will be cleared with a payment of 5% duty while containers that reached the ports after two weeks following the import ban would be cleared at 15%.

“The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting held this morning,” she said, adding that it has also approved the import of three million tons of wheat after global wheat prices plunged. The government would provide low-cost wheat to the public.

An ordinance related to government-to-government commercial transactions was also approved, the minister added.

Amnesty for foreign workers

The cabinet while taking the interior ministry proposal announced its decision to provide amnesty to foreigners working in Pakistan.

“Amnesty is approved for people from foreign countries who overstay here after their standard time,” she said, “some of them also get arrested and they don’t have money to pay the fine.”

The amnesty would remain in effect till December 31, 2022, and till then they could return to their country by informing the government. The ministry in collaboration with the information ministry would also run an awareness campaign during the period.