GUJRAT: The Gujranwala Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) arrested on Thursday Gujrat Municipal Corporation (GtMC) chief officer Khaliq Daad Gara on corruption and fraud charges related to illegal construction of a commercial building.

The ACE has also booked at least in the case.

Sources say that an ACE team arrested Gara in connection with a case lodged against the GtMC officials on the complaint of a citizen, Haji Parvez Saleem, for not taking action against the illegal construction of a commercial building in the city’s Khari Khoi area.

The complainant alleged that the construction was being carried out without getting approval from the relevant authorities, and the CO and other suspects failed to take action despite being informed of the illegality.

The sources say that an inquiry into the matter was underway for the last one month and in its light the ACE authorities arrested the CO.

Six other suspects, including five officials of the GtMC planning branch booked

According to the first information report (FIR), registered by the Gujranwala ACE headquarters, the CO, a former municipal officer, planning (MOP), Syed Imran Ali, enforcement inspector Muhammad Waseem, building inspectors Abu Awais and Saqlain Raza and the owner of the building, Qamar Saleem, have been booked under sections 420, 468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

ACE sources say that enforcement inspector Waseem has also been detained by the ACE in a raid on Monday the last.

They say that ex-MOP Imran Ali has reportedly fled abroad, whereas three other suspects were granted interim bail by a Gujranwala court until Nov 29.

CO Gara was produced before a local court by the ACE on Wednesday. The court handed him over to the ACE on a physical remand for three days (until Friday).

The sources say that Gara had been transferred from the GtMC more than three weeks ago, but he was not relieved of his charge by the authorities concerned. They say that efforts were underway to keep Gara on the post or get him posted as Gujrat district council cheif officer.

On Thursday, GtMC Administrator Commissioner Naveed Haider Sheerazi arrived at the GtMC after a long time and remained in the office where Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Nurulain Qureshi and other officials were also present.

The sources say that there had been complaints of massive corruption in the planning branch of GtMC, with corrupt officials demanding bribes for the approval of the building designs.

Earlier, in 2024, another corruption case against senior GtMC officials, including the then CO, had been lodged with the ACE and some officials were sent behind the bars for a few months.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2025