ACE seeks various records from GCU VC

LAHORE:Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), has started investigation against GCU Vice Chancellor Dr. Asghar Zaidi on allegation of corruption in awarding contracts of civil work, procurement, canteen etc. According to letter available with The News, the Registrar of GCU has been asked to submit record related to award of different contracts during the 2021-2022 along with details of allocation and utilisation of funds through an officer conversant with the matter to ACE DG office Lahore on May 31, 2023.

When contacted, Vice-Chancellor Dr Asghar Zaidi said the ACE has asked for the documents. He said, ‘We did not commit any kind of corruption.’ The VC said he has nothing to do with the contracts the ACE asked about because the contracts were awarded by engineering cell. He said that despite that the GCU would provide all the record required by the ACE. Furthermore, we will knock at the door of the court, the VC said. He maintained that it was beyond ACE's domain to investigate an autonomous body, adding, ‘We are not civil servants, and ACE cannot probe us.’ Commenting on VC's claim, the ACE spokesperson said that since the government funds the GCU, it falls in the domain of ACE.