PTI leaders on ACE radar

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek Insaf leaders are on the radar of the anti-corruption establishment. Currently, three inquiries are underway against PTI leader Farrukh Habib, while investigations have also been started against former MNA Raza Nasrullah Ghumman.

According to a spokesman for the Anti-Corruption Establishment, former MNA Farrukh Habib is wanted for corruption in the Parks and Horticulture Department from 2018 to 2022. He has not yet appeared in two inquiries. According to the spokesman, Farrukh Habib, and Raza Nasrullah have been summoned for Tuesday at 10 a.m. The former has failed to appear in any inquiry despite being summoned.

Farrukh Habib is accused of building a petrol pump on state land and committing malpractices in the construction of the two-lane Satyana Road. The ACE has also sought records from all the relevant departments. In another case, the ACE has recovered Rs 1 crore from the house of former principal secretary Mohammad Khan Bhatti.

According to the anti-corruption spokesperson, the team recovered cash from the house in Lahore’s GOR-I.Furthermore, former provincial minister Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed did not appear before ACE despite being summoned twice on charges of recruiting patwaris after taking bribes and scams in the construction of roads by the local government.

Earlier, Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed was summoned on March 10. He is accused of taking bribes of around Rs 22 lakh per patwari. He is accused of recruiting 32 patwaris in Faisalabad. Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed is accused of committing malpractices in development projects in his constituency involving Rs 20 crore. He is accused of accepting bribes of Rs 60 lakh by awarding a contract to the people of his choice to build a paved road.

In this case, the ACE has also summoned Local Government contractor Sarmad and Sub-Engineer Asif while directing the department to provide all the development work done during the period of Hafiz Mumtaz. In another case, the ACE has served a third summons on former MPA Abdul Hayee Dasti.Abdul Hai Dasti has been summoned again for March 15 at 11 a.m. Even before this, he has been summoned twice by the anti-corruption team, but he has not yet appeared.The ACE has registered a case against him a few days ago by raiding the house of Abdul Hai Dasti and recovering more than Rs 15 crore.