Two more arrested in Passco wheat embezzlement scandal

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TOBA TEK SINGH: Two more persons have been arrested on Friday by the Faisalabad Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for their alleged involvement in the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) wheat embezzlement scandal.

An FIA official claimed that both arrested Tandlianwala grain market commission agents Jaffer Ali Watto and Rajab Ali had been found involved in the purchase and sale of wheat from Passco staffers. He said that the records of sale and purchase had also been taken into custody from their shops.

It is to be mentioned that seven persons, including five Passco officials, were already under arrest for their alleged involvement in embezzling more than 14,000 100kg wheat bags worth more than Rs70 million.

Meanwhile, another FIA team arrested one Qamar Zaman in a raid in Sahiwal for his alleged involvement in visa fraud and migrant smuggling.

A press release claimed that the accused had extorted Rs5.4 million from a citizen to send him abroad for work.

KILLED: A man was killed while his daughter was injured on Friday after their neighbour attacked them over a minor dispute in the Christian Colony of Jaranwala.

Police said that deceased Ayub Maseeh (40) had forbidden accused Bunny Maseeh from standing in front of his house in the street. Police claimed that over this, the accused entered the house of the deceased and attacked him with a knife.

Police said Ayub was killed in the attack while his daughter Jessica (16) was injured when she attempted to save her father.

Police spokesperson said that the accused had been arrested.

INJURED: An under arrest suspect was injured in an attack by four of his accomplices in a bid to free him on Friday in Shorkot tehsil of Jhang.

Police claimed that four unidentified motorcycle riders opened fire on the police to free a detained robbery suspect near the Kachi Pakki Canals area. Police claimed that detained suspect Muhammad Musa was being taken for recovery in a robbery case.

Police claimed that he was injured in the indiscriminate firing of his accomplices and was shifted to the hospital.

Police said suspect Musa was involved in 30 robbery and theft cases and an attempted murder case.

ACCIDENT: A woman pillion rider died after a bike was hit by a speeding tractor trolley near Chak 674/15 GB on Friday on the Abdul Hakim Road in Pirmahal.

The deceased was identified as Shazia (45) of Chak 265 GB Rajana. Her husband, Mansab Ali, received minor injuries in the accident.

In a similar incident near Pull Rango of Khanewal, a motorcycle collided with a trailer due to speeding. As a result, pillion Robina (35) died instantly, while her husband Iqbal (40) and their son Anas (13) were seriously injured. The injured were shifted to the Khanewal DHQ Hospital.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2026

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