LAHORE: Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Monday summoned a brother of former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and 18 others for ‘illegally occupying state land’ in Depalpur.

Bushra Bibi’s brother Ahmed Mujtaba and 18 others were called to appear in the hearing at ACE Sahiwal office on July 6 for investigation into their alleged involvement in a corruption scandal related to state land.

The ACE also directed that ex-parte proceedings would be initiated against the persons not joining the investigation.

An ACE official on the condition of anonymity told Dawn that Mujtaba and others were accused of occupying government land in Depalpur.

Sources claimed that Mujtaba was involved in illegally leasing government land earmarked for a market and seizing state land through the market committee chairman, inflicting a loss of Rs200m on the national exchequer.

According to anti-corruption officials, shops were built in Depalpur by occupying the land.

Last week, the ACE booked Farhat Shahzadi also known as Farah Khan, a close friend of Bushra Bibi, and her mother and arrested a former acting CEO of the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) and Special Economic Zone committee secretary in a case of illegal allotment of two plots, measuring 10 acres, to a company owned by Farah.

According to the FIR, a probe was initiated into the allegations of illegal allotment of plots to M/s AI-Muez Dairy & Foods (Pvt) Limited with the connivance of officials of FIEDMC.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2022