LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Punjab, has dropped corruption cases against 37 politicians and bureaucrats belonging to powerful groups, the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) and Pakistan Police Service (PSP).
When The News contacted ACE officials, Waqas Hassan, additional director general (ADG), said most of the cases had been dropped by the ACE Punjab on merit after conducting fair inquiries, while some of the cases were abolished after trial concluded in courts.
According to sources in the ACE, corruption cases against politicians including Nawaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Khwaja Muhammad Asif, Rana Mubashir, Abid Sher Ali, Malik Mohammad Afzal Hinjra, Malik Mohammad Ajmal Hinjra, Mian Riaz, Ibadullah Khan, Rana Muhammad Azeem, Ashraf Abbas Dogar, Riaz Goraya, Mian Zulfiqar, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Sohail Shaukat Butt, Ghazali Saleem Butt, Sardar Mir Badshah Qaisrani, Ijaz Achlana, Khurram Dastgir, Wilayat Bibi, mother of Javed Latif, Mohsin, etc., have been dropped or abolished by the ACE Punjab.
Sources claimed that the list was provided to the-then DG ACE by Faiz Hameed and Shahzad Akbar, on the recommendation of former prime minister Imran Khan.
In 2020, the ACE Punjab approved investigation into activities of the above-mentioned PMLN politicians. An FIR [first information report] against Ashraf Abbas and Riaz Goraya, the alleged frontmen of Ahsan Iqbal, had also been registered. Registration of cases was finalised against some politicians, while some cases were still at the inquiry stages.
The PMLN supremo had been given a clean chit by the ACE Punjab in the alleged illegal allotment of Waqf property, attached to Baba Fariduddin Masud Ganj Shakar shrine in Pakpattan. The official made it clear that Nawaz Sharif had nothing to do with the case of alleged illegal allotment of Waqf property.
According to documents/FIRs available with The News, the ACE had registered cases against senior bureaucrats, Tahir Khurshid, Ahmed Aziz Tarar, Saleha Saeed, Usman Muazzam, Sohail Khawaja, Mian Shakeel, former director general (DG) of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), IG Islamabad Akbar Nasir, etc.
Sources said the ACE dropped cases against Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home Department Punjab Mian Shakil and IGP Akbar Nasir. The ACE had registered an FIR, a copy of which is available with The News, under Section 409 TP, 5(2) 1947 Prevention of Corruption Act, Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab, against Mian Shakeel, ex-DG PHA, Chaudhary Tahir Sultan, project director of Greater Iqbal Park, Irfan Aslam, PHA Director Engineering, Riaz Ahmad Awan, PHA deputy director engineering, and Shahid Saleem, chief executive officer(CEO) of a construction company on charges of corruption.
The inquiry was conducted by the ACE as it was alleged that a loss of Rs381.874 million was allegedly caused to the national exchequer in Greater Iqbal Park project. In order to provide financial benefit to blue-eyed, the rate of non-scheduled items was excessively inflated as compared to market rate and PEPRA Rules were outright ignored. An FIR was registered against Inspector General of Police, Islamabad, Akbar Nasir Khan, on corruption charges when Pervaiz Elahi was the chief minister of Punjab.
In June 2023, an FIR was registered against senior bureaucrat Tahir Khurshid, Ahmed Aziz Tarar, Saleha Saeed, Usman Muazzam and Sohail Khawaja. According to sources, these bureaucrats did not knock at the doors of courts because ACE was lenient towards the PAS and PSP officials.
The FIR claimed that the accused bureaucrats, in connivance with the government and political authorities, abused their powers to appoint and transfer individuals to high-ranking posts in the government. The ACE had arrested politicians but failed to arrest bureaucrats in corruption charges.
Waqas Hassan, Additional Director General (ADG), ACE Punjab, dispelled the impression and said that ACE showed no leniency towards the PAS and PSP officers. According to him, IGP Akbar Nasir’s case was not dropped, rather it was under investigation. He said ACE had no favourites and every officer was accountable under the law. He said ACE was conducting fair inquiries without any pressure and it dropped the inquiries on merit.