Punjab ACE DG Muzaffar Ranjha removed

LAHORE: Punjab interim government Monday removed Anti-Corruption Establishment director general Brigadier Muzaffar Ali Ranjha (retd) from his office, said to be a blue- eyed officer of former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.

It has given the additional charge of director general Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Tariq Najeeb Najmi.

The notification of removal of Brigadier Muzaffar Ali Ranjha (retd) was issued Monday, the copy of which is available with The News. The notification reads that “pursuant to the approval of competent authority the contractual appointment of Brigadier Muzaffar Ali Ranjha (retd) as director general ACE Punjab is hereby terminated with immediate effect in lieu of one month salary as per clause-11 of terms and conditions of his contract”.

ACE director legal Sh Sohail while commenting on the issue said the contract of Muzaffar Ali Ranjha has been terminated due to ongoing policy of reshuffle of officers in the awake of general elections 2018. He said Ranjha’s contract was ending in July 2019 as it started in July 2016.

It was a contractual appointment so Ranjha could have not been transferred which resulted in termination of his contract, Sohail added. He categorically denied any conspiracy or other allegations behind the removal of Muzaffar Ali Ranjha.

There were rumours that appointment of Muzaffar Ali Ranjha as director general ACE was a reward from the PML-N government for allegedly helping the party in rigging 2013 elections. At the time of 2013 elections, Ranjha was serving as sector commander of Military Intelligence Punjab.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan in a Geo TV ‘Capital Talk’ show had alleged that a brigadier had helped Nawaz in Punjab during the last general elections. Later, in a press talk Muzaffar Ali Ranjha categorically rejected allegations of Imran.