BAHAWALPUR: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has registered a case against 19 officials of the irrigation department on charges of alleged corruption of millions of rupees in the Bahawal canal restoration project.

According to the first information report of the anti-corruption police station, officials booked included four executive engineers, three sub-divisional officers, four sub-engineers, eight divisional accounts officers and auditors and contractors of a company.

Complainant Ghulam Nabi Khan apprised the ACE of alleged corruption of over Rs70 million in the canal restoration project. The establishment initiated an inquiry during which the allegations were proved.

The ACE registered a case against EXENs Masood Ahmad, Chaudhry Liaquat Ali, Muhammad Naeem, Chaudhry Abdul Rashid, SDOs Faisal Mushtaq, Haq Nawaz, Muhammad Saeed, sub-engineers Khalid Munir, Kamran Butt, Muhammad Hafeez and Tariq and accounts officers.

No arrests have been made so far.

EXHIBITION: The Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) in collaboration with the central library organised an exhibition of rare pictures and books on the Pakistan Movement in connection with the Independence Day.

Federal Minister of State for Education and Interior Baleeghur Rehman, who also performed a flag-hoisting ceremony at the library, inaugurated the exhibition.

The minister while addressing on the occasion criticised the organisers of the ‘Azadi and revolution marches’ and said the government could not compromise on Pakistan’s Constitution and integrity. He referred to the prime minister’s offer of constitution of a three-member commission to probe the rigging allegations by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and said when his “demands had been accepted” there was no point of marching.

STRIKE: In pursuance of the call of Punjab Bar Council, local lawyers observed a strike to protest the mass arrests of innocent people, political workers, PTI activists and blockade of roads through containers.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2014