Ex-Brig Asad commits suicide

ISLAMABAD: Brig (R) Asad Munir, a prominent defence analyst, committed suicide in his apartment located inside the Diplomatic Enclave in sector G-5 Thursday night.

He was facing investigations by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in an alleged plot restoration case in violation of rules and regulations.

Brig (R) Asad Munir, who had served with the ISI and also was the Deputy Director-General Special Investigation Wing of Rawalpindi NAB had also served as the Member (Estate) in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) from 2006 to 2010 and enjoyed great respect and credibility while he was in office.

Since his retirement, he had frequently been invited by different private TV channels to give his opinion on defence, intelligence and security related issues.

In 2017, almost six years after he retired from the CDA as Member (Estate), the NAB filed a case against him for restoring a plot in Sector E-11 in violation of the laid down rules and regulations of the Authority.

It may be mentioned that Brig (R) Asad Munir was not in a position to restore a plot on his own and such a decision is always taken by the full ‘Board of Members’ of the CDA, headed by authority’s chairman.

An unsigned, two-page computer typed suicide note, dated March 15, 2019, addressed to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was found in the room where he committed suicide by hanging himself with rope tied to the ceiling fan.

“NAB has initiated three investigations and two inquiries against me in the last one year. In three, as Board Member two as Member Estate. I would humbly request you to kindly read my attached statements in each case, if you think that I have been involved in corrupt practices then the case is closed and if NAB has been wrong then I would like you to clear my name.

“I am committing suicide to avoid humiliation, being handcuffed and paraded in front of the media.

“I request you, the honorable Chief Justice, to take notice of NAB’s officials conduct so that other government officials are not convicted for the crimes they had not committed.”

“I am giving my life in the hope that you, the honorable Chief Justice will bring positive changes in the system where incompetent people are playing with the life and honor of citizens in the name of accountability,” the suicide note reads.

The copy of the suicide note addressed to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan is available with ‘The News’.

When contacted, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIGP) Islamabad, Syed Waqaruddin, said that the suicide letter seemed to be genuine but the Islamabad Police needed some time to check and verify its authenticity.

“We have taken over the possession of his computer and we are going to authenticate if the letter was indeed typed by him or there is any foul play involved. It is going to take a little time for us to be sure of the facts,” DIG Syed Waqaruddin said while talking to ‘The News’.

Meanwhile, the body of late Brig (R) Asad Munir was handed over to his family without conducting postmortem on the insistence of the members of the family.