LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Saturday registered a case involving Rs172 million against the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Multan director marketing and two other officials, along with several private contractors.

The case was registered against director marketing Hafiz Usama, accountant Badar Munir, and recovery officer Pervaiz Iqbal. Further investigation has been initiated against assistant directors marketing Bushra Amreen, Tanvir Hussain, assistant director engineering Naveed Ahmad Bhutta and contractors.

In August 2025, PHA Director General Kareem Bakhsh ordered an inquiry into allegations of corruption, misconduct, and outstanding liabilities for 2022, 2023 and 2024 against the three officials. The inquiry found losses of about Rs172m over four years, mainly linked to publicity contracts and other leases.

According to the findings, Rs20m allocated by Wasa for horticulture was diverted to cover private contractors’ liabilities. Another Rs64m worth of financial instruments received by the marketing directorate could not be traced, while Rs68m were shifted to unrelated revenue heads or earlier fiscal years.

Probe against three ADs, contractors initiated

The report stated that official records had been tampered with, including altered dates and suspected forged signatures of a former director general. It said unauthorised adjustments were made in favour of contractors.

Hafiz Usama was accused of failing to prevent diversion of funds and issuing adjustment letters that were later found to be fake. Accountant Badar Munir was held responsible for losing financial instruments valued in millions and depositing Wasa cheques with private contractor accounts. Site inspector Pervaiz Iqbal was found involved in unauthorised fund diversion and in preparing a fake Rs3.5m challan.

The inquiry recommended criminal proceedings, recovery of public funds and a forensic audit. The PHA director general forwarded the reference to ACE for action.

ACE Regional Director Basharat Nabi constituted a two-member inquiry committee, comprising the Khanewal ACE deputy director and the Multan assistant director technical. The committee reviewed the record, examined the inquiry report and recorded statements of scrutiny committee members and the accused.

The committee confirmed corruption involving Rs172m and recommended registration of a case against Usama, Munir and Iqbal, with further investigation into the roles of the other officers and contractors.

Mr Nabi told Dawn that the case had been registered and arrests would follow soon.

He said the ACE carried out action in Multan, Khanewal, Vehari and Lodhran during the current financial year, registering cases in 775 inquiries. A total of 253 government officials and facilitators were arrested, while 64 were caught taking bribes in raids conducted with a first-class magistrate. Twenty-seven absconders were also detained.

He said challans in 264 cases were submitted to courts, 267 inquiries were settled through compromise and 67 were transferred to departments. He said inquiries were conducted in cases involving the health department, police, revenue, sub-registrar offices, irrigation, municipal corporation, PHA, housing and building, highways, education, excise, labour, MDA, food department and district council.

He said ACE retrieved 16 marlas of state land valued at around Rs10m and made direct recoveries of Rs148.41m in other cases.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2025