LAHORE: The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has arrested seven officials of the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC)on corruption charges.

According to an ACE handout on Thursday, an FIR has been registered against 16 officials of the RMC and 29 building owners.

“Seven of them have been arrested and raids are underway to nab the remaining suspects,” it said.

Action has been taken against the suspects on account of violation of the buildings bylaws and illegal constructions. “After a thorough probe it transpired that the suspects caused a loss of Rs26.6 million to the exchequer against different commercial and residential buildings,” it said.

The ACE said the suspects also committed violations in covered areas, sub-division and MC bylaws.

“These violations were committed in connivance with MC officers/officials, including three BPS-17/18 officers — Tariq Aziz, Malik Toseef and Naveed Shahzad. It said the operation against the suspects was launched by ACE Director Kanwal Batool Naqvi, on the direction of Director General Gohar Nafees.

NMU: The ACE has launched a probe into a salary scam in the Nishtar Medical University and Hospital, Multan.

According to an ACE spokesperson, Director General Gohar Nafees taking notice of the “millions of rupees embezzlement” in the Nishtar Hospital funds directed Multan region Director Haider Wattoo to thoroughly probe into the matter and finalise the investigation report within two weeks.

He said the office-holders of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA)had called for a probe by the ACE into the scam. He said a sum of over Rs13m had allegedly been embezzled in the salary accounts of doctors.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2020