Brig Asad Munir’s suicide: PPP asks NAB chairman to step down

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Saturday demanded the resignation of Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Justice (R) Javed Iqbal over the suicide of Brig (R) Asad Munir and suggested that a paramilitary committee should be constituted to investigate the allegations made in the deceased’s suicide note.

"Brig (R) Asad Munir committed suicide due to harassment by the NAB officials and the chairman NAB has no justification to remain in office until completion of inquiry by a parliamentary committee comprising members from all parliamentary parties," said Secretary General PPP Parliamentarians Farhatullah Babar while addressing a press conference here.

Babar came down hard on the government saying it had completely failed to implement the National Action Plan (NAP).

He said the economic crisis had deepened, as the UAE had refused to supply oil on deferred payment of $3.2 billion.

"The prime minister has to tell the nation as to why the UAE has taken back this facility," he said.

Replying to a question, Farhatullah Babar said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had not received any notice from the NAB but whenever he criticised the government, he received notices from the NAB. He said cases against Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur had been transferred to Islamabad from Karachi despite the fact that the case belonged to Sindh.

"We have serious reservations about it, he said.

Secretary General PPP Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari said a parliamentary committee should be formed to investigate Brig (R) Asad Munir’s suicide.

He said it was not the first incident, as earlier an educationist had also died in handcuffs in the NAB custody.

He said Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani had the powers to summon chairman NAB.

He said the issue should also be debated in Parliament, as it was a national issue “The NAB is being used as a tool to harass people and victimize the PPP leadership," he said.