Muhammad Khan Bhatti remanded in ACE custody for three days

LAHORE/ RAHIM YAR KHAN: Former principal secretary to chief minister Punjab Muhammad Khan Bhatti was remanded in the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) custody by Rahim Yar Khan Senior Civil Judge Tasneem Ijaz for three days, on Monday.

The ACE had demanded five-day remand of the accused. The court also accepted the plea for medical examination of the accused. The ACE alleged that Muhammad Khan Bhatti misappropriated Rs250 million.

Earlier, Bhatti was shifted to Punjab on transit remand with the permission of the Punjab Home Department. He was brought from Quetta to Rahim Yar Khan by a four-member team, led by Investigation Officer Ghulam Asghar.

He was presented before a magistrate in Rahim Yar Khan in case number 1/23. Bhatti was also wanted in case number 3/23 of the ACE Lahore Region. According to DG Anti-Corruption Punjab Sohail Zafar Chattha, former principal secretary to chief minister Punjab invested Rs250 in Rahim Yar Khan sugar mill, which he had made through corruption and bribery.

The investment was made by Bhatti in sugar mill of former Punjab ministers Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar and Makhdoom Hasham Jawan Bakht through his front-man Munir Ahmad. According to the law, government officers and employees could not become part of any business during service. The accused would be produced in the ACE court again on March 9. Earlier, a case, number 40/23, was also registered in Quetta (Balochistan) against Bhatti.