NAB chief to personally probe Asad Munir’s alleged suicide

1
255

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal has decided to personally investigate the alleged suicide committed by Brigadier (r) Asad Munir.

According to a press release issued on Monday, the NAB chief “has summoned all relevant record in this regard from NAB Rawalpindi immediately so that all requisites of the law can be fulfilled.”

NAB press release dated March 25, 2019

On March 15, body of the former intelligence official and defence analyst was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his apartment in the Diplomatic Enclave. Following the legal procedure, the body was handed over to his family who refused to allow the autopsy.

Consequently, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa on Thursday took suo motu notice of Munir’s alleged suicide. The top judge has also sought the details of investigations against Munir by the NAB. The suo motu notice on Brig (r) Munir’s alleged suicide is the first such notice taken by CJP Khosa.

Munir apparently committed suicide after the emergence of media reports that the Bureau has decided to file a reference of abuse of office against him.

In a meeting held on Thursday, the anti-graft watchdog decided to investigate Munir, a former member of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), and others for allegedly abusing their powers to restore a plot in F-11 of Islamabad while violating rules and regulations.

SUICIDE NOTE:

In a last note accredited to him, Munir had appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to bring changes in the NAB’s operations where “incompetent people are playing with life and honor of citizens in name of accountability”.

“I am committing suicide to avoid humiliation, being handcuffed and paraded in front of the media,” he had allegedly written.

He had also reportedly requested CJP Khosa to “take notice of NAB officials’ conduct” to avoid the conviction of government officials “for crimes they have not committed”.

Munir had written that the aforementioned plot was restored by the then CDA chairman while he had only recommended the restoration as he was convinced that the restoration was in line with the CDA Restoration Policy, 2007.

He further cleared that he remained in the authority from 2006 to 2010 but the case was registered in 2017, after a gap of six years.

“I have also submitted my assets detailed to NAB,” he had allegedly stated.

Munir said his name was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) for three months in November 2017 by the Interior Ministry citing an FIR in which he was not even nominated. He said had filed a review appeal addressed to the interior secretary but received no response. “My name still remains on the ECL after more than a year.”