CJP takes notice of Asad Munir’s ‘suicide note’

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa has taken notice of a suicide note purportedly written by Brig (retd) Asad Munir and sought a reply from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over the matter.

The top judge took suo motu notice — his first as chief justice — of the letter on Thursday after receiving it from the Supreme Court’s Registrar Office. Justice Khosa’s notice comes after he stressed in January that he would exercise the court’s suo motu powers “very sparingly” during a full court reference held in honour of his predecessor Justice Saqib Nisar on the eve of his retirement as top judge.

The letter in question, which was addressed to the chief justice, details the allegations against Munir and the manner in which he was treated by the anti-graft body’s officers. Brig (retd) Munir, a former member of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and former intelligence operative allegedly ended his life last week.

He was deeply upset over media reports stating the NAB, during an executive board meeting, had approved filing a corruption reference against him, family sources told Geo News. The NAB had accused him of misusing his authority into the restoration of a plot in the federal capital.

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 the purported note, a copy of which is available with The News, Munir wrote: “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.”

Islamabad Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Syed Waqaruddin, had told The News last week the 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,” he added.