LAHORE: The government and opposition traded barbs on Saturday over the death of former chief executive officer (CEO) of the University of Sargodha’s Lahore campus, Mian Javed Ahmed, as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) distanced itself from the incident.

Rejecting media reports maligning NAB, the anti-corruption watchdog said it did not have any role in Mr Ahmed’s death.

“On the court’s order, Mr Ahmed was sent to jail in a healthy state about two months ago. He died in jail custody at the Services Hospital,” stated a NAB press release. It said NAB chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal had issued clear instructions that suspects would not be handcuffed, and the bureau was following this in letter and spirit.

“Despite issuance of a clarification over the matter, a smear campaign is under way against NAB to malign its reputation. The bureau is determined not to hurt the self-respect of any suspect,” it added.

NAB denies any role, says smear campaign under way to malign it

Lahore NAB spokesman Zeeshan Anwar said once a suspect was handed over to jail authorities, the latter were responsible for matters related to custody and “NAB does not have a say in such matters”.

In cases of judicial custody, jail officials issued orders pertaining to any emergency situation regarding those detained.

Mr Ahmed was arrested by NAB in October along with former University of Sargodha vice chancellor Mohammad Akram, former registrar retired Brig Rao Jamil, Mandi Bahauddin sub-campus CEO Waris and his partner Naeem, and former administrator director Akram for illegally opening sub-campuses in Lahore and Mandi Bahauddin and allegedly embezzling millions of rupees. They were sent to jail on judicial remand in the last week of October.

Inspector General (Prisons) Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig on Saturday ordered an inquiry into the case, directing the prisons deputy inspector general to furnish a report within two days. “Whether Javed Ahmed’s death took place in jail or at the hospital, this has to be ascertained. Departmental action will be taken if anyone is found guilty in this matter,” Mr Baig said.

On the other hand, federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry mocked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shahbaz Sharif for receiving ‘VIP’ treatment over his residence being declared a sub-jail to attend a parliament session in Islamabad, adding that if one was poor one was handcuffed even after death to make an example out for others.

The jail authorities also faced criticism on social media after a picture of the body of Mr Ahmed in handcuffs went viral.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb termed Fawad Chaudhry’s statement ‘sick’. She said the minister tried to save the government in the face of criticism, lamenting that the government had delayed implementation on the reports of a medical board that examined Shahbaz Sharif.

Senator Raza Rabbani condemned the death of Mr Ahmed in Camp Jail and keeping of his body in chains and handcuffs. It appeared there was a deliberate and premeditated attempt to humiliate academics and the middle class in Pakistan, a statement quoted him as saying. It further said that such incidents by the state were a crude attempt to place academic freedom in chains and browbeat the middle class from exercising the culture of resistance.

Mr Rabbani urged all democratic forces to stand with the academics and middle class in this hour.

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Nafeesa Shah called for a judicial inquiry into Mr Ahmed’s death and said her party would raise the issue in parliament. “The handcuffed body of Mr Ahmed is a slap in the face of humanity. The NAB chairman should take responsibility for the death,” she added.

Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar summoned the NAB director general and prisons inspector general in the next meeting of the committee. He said the death of a suspect “in the custody of NAB” was a serious matter and his handcuffed photograph a matter of concern.

Mr Ahmed was laid to rest in a local graveyard on Saturday after a post-mortem examination was conducted. The family of the deceased held the jail authorities responsible for his death. “The health of Mr Ahmed was not well. He reported this to the jail authorities on Friday morning, but they did not bother and a delay in shifting him to hospital resulted in his death. He may have been saved had he been provided treatment on time,” a relative of Mr Ahmed’s told Dawn.

He urged the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the incident and bring to justice those responsible for his death.

Iftikhar A. Khan in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2018