Agha Sajjad died from natural causes: NAB

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The inquiry committee of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has revealed that the custodial death of Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL) former general manager was due to natural causes and not by torture of NAB’s investigation staff, said a press release issued on Monday.

The inquiry, headed by NAB HQ Director Investigation and Monitoring Commodore Zafar Iqbal Mir said Agha Muhammad Sajjad Khan was involved in a corruption case and was arrested on March 6 from his residence.

The inquiry team examined ten witnesses, including Inspector Shahid Rashid and Dr Obaidur Rehman who was on duty at the NAB police station.

The report said that on March 6, inspector Rashid went to arrest Mr Khan and asked him to go to the NAB’s police station. Mr Khan expressed surprise on being arrested because he said that he been exonerated of charges about an year back.

However, on the insistence of Mr Rashid he agreed to accompany him but requested permission to collect some documents.

The twosome, on the request of Mr Khan’s son Agha Hassan Mehmood Khan went in their private car and reached Chamba House at 8:00pm. Since Mr Khan had come in his car, he could not go inside and had to walk about 200 yards from main gate to the police station.

During this, Mr Khan complained of chest pains and a lack of breath. He was made to rest for ten minutes and was taken to NAB’s doctor who examined him and found all his vital signs normal. Mr Khan was then arrested and sent to lockup.

Later, he again complained of severe chest pains and was taken to Services Hospital along with the doctor. On arrival at the hospital, the hospital’s doctor pronounced him dead.

The next day the NAB’s police station Incharge and Shadman Colony Special Magistrate Ghulam Dastgir conducted a judicial inquiry over the death of Mr Khan. The inquiry also determined that the cause of death was natural causes. Later, Mr Khans relatives informed the court that he had a history of gastric trouble and hypertension.

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