NAB’s accountability

Death of a professor under the custody of NAB raises questions

The death of a professor of the University of Sargodha under the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raises many questions on the working of the bureau that has already been facing heavy scrutiny — for mismanagement and institutionalised corruption — ever since it sprung into action last year.

Mian Javed Ahmed who died on December 21 with his hands chained was arrested by the bureau in October over allegations of establishing illegal campuses and minting millions from students. Ahmed and four other professors, who were involved in the same case, had had their judicial remand extended until January 2^nd of 2019. According to the Lahore District Jail authorities, Ahmed had suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to Services Hospital where doctors had pronounced him dead.

While investigations to determine whether the incarcerated professor had died in jail or the hospital are underway, the accountability bureau has distanced itself from the case. The bureau released a statement saying that “it rejects media reports” and “it did not have a role” in the death of the professor. The chairman of the Senate Standing Committee for Human Rights also took notice of the professor’s death and said “a person’s death under custody is a grave matter.” And it indeed is.

The accountability watchdog has been notorious for its extensions of judicial remands. The indefinite period of keeping an accused under custody is not only a human rights violations but also raises doubts on the competency of the bureau. The case of Ahad Cheema, who has been under custody for over a year now, lends credence to the failure of the workings of NAB. While there are many disagreements between the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government and the Opposition, both agree that the bureau needs a change to its laws that were established to suit the Musharraf regime. The death of Ahmed should perhaps be the starting point for the discussion for the changes. It’s time for NAB to be accountable.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2018.

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