Pakistani minister suicide questioned

Police have not ruled out foul play

The family of a former Pakistani cabinet minister found dead in his house in Karachi have said they do not believe he committed suicide.

Khan was active in social work

The body of former labour and environment minister, Omar Asghar Khan, was found hanging from a ceiling fan on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the family, Naim Sarwar Khan, told the BBC that the state of Mr Khan's body when it was found did not support the theory that he killed himself.

He also said the family were not sure that a suicide note purported to have been written by Mr Khan before he died was in his writing.

The police have said they are treating the case as one of suicide, although they have not ruled out the possiblity of foul play.

No motive

The family spokesman said there were signs that Mr Khan's hands had been tied up, and one leg was still supported on a chair when he was found.

He also said the family knew of no reason why he would want to take his own life.

The suicide note has been taken away by police as evidence.

Mr Khan resigned from the cabinet earlier this year to form a political party to take part in elections due in October.

He was perhaps the youngest and one of the brightest members of President Musharraf's cabinet.

Before joining the military-run government he was active in social work.

His non-governmental organisation had worked for the rights of women in a highly conservative region of North West Frontier Province.

Son of a former chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Mr Khan also had a brief stint in the army before he turned towards teaching and later to politics.