GUJRAT: The Gujranwala Anti-Corruption Establishment has booked and arrested another chief officer (CO) on the charges of corruption worth Rs36 million in the uplift schemes of Mandi Bahauddin Municipal Committee (MC).

Earlier, during the last couple of months the chief officers of Gujrat and Gujranwala Municipal Corporations namely Khaaliq Daad Gara and Haider Ali Chatha respectively, had been booked and arrested by the ACE on the charges of corruption in the MCs.

Ahmed Waqar Shahid, who is currently serving as chief officer, Hafizabad district council, has been arrested by the ACE in a case of Mandi Bahauddin MC where he served as CO during 2022 to 2025.

A spokesman for Gujranwala ACE told Dawn that the anti-graft watchdog had been probing the matter of corruption in at least eight uplift schemes worth Rs36 million of Mandi Bahauddin MC.

As per the initial investigation, he said a sum of Rs18.7m had been embezzled in those schemes and further investigation was underway.

He said irregularities had also been detected in the procurement of machinery as violation of rules was committed by the respective officials of the MC.

A case has been lodged with Gujranwala ACE circle against the arrested CO Ahmed Waqar whereas the Gujranwala MC’s former CO Haider Chatha had been arrested in the case of corruption in Hafizabad district council last month.

Mandi Bahauddin MC’s two clerks Nazeer Ahmed and Shahid Abbas are also being probed by the ACE regarding the same case of corruption.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2026