LAHORE: The Punjab government has ordered disciplinary proceedings against the former secretary/chief administrator of Auqaf department, Dr Tahir Raza Bukhari, for his alleged role in the illegal allotment of a government-reserved Khateeb’s residence to a private person and subsequent payment of Rs8.162 million in compensation to that individual against the government property, affected by Neela Gumbad project.
The order, issued under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Peeda) Act 2006, accuses the BS-20 officer of abusing his authority by facilitating the illegal allotment of Unit-54, a house reserved for the Khateeb of Jamia Masjid, Neela Gumbad, to one Shahid Ishaq, son of retired provincial Khateeb Mufti Muhammad Ishaq Saqi, in Dec 2023 despite knowing the house’s reserved status and that it could not be allotted to any private person.
Dr Bukhari allegedly pressured field officers to submit favourable reports and later concealed material facts during high-level official meetings, ultimately resulting in a massive financial loss of Rs8.162m to the exchequer as compensation was paid out against the state property.
Ordering initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the accused under the Peeda Act 2006, the Punjab chief minister, acting as competent authority, appointed Punjab Planning and Development Board (P&DB) Chairman Dr Naeem Rauf as inquiry officer to proceed against the accused officer in terms of Section 5(1)(b) read with Section 9 of the Act ibid.
The inquiry officer has been asked to submit his report and recommendations to the Auqaf department secretary within 60 days of the initiation of inquiry.
The order says an application was submitted by a private person, Shahid Ishaq, son of Mr Ishaq Saqi (ex-provincial Khateeb) to the Auqaf secretary/chief administrator on Dec 19, 2023, for allotment of the house (Unit 54) attached to Jamia Masjid, Neela Gumbad, which was actually reserved for Khateeb of the mosque. At that time too, the house was under illegal occupation of Ishaq Saqi, who was residing there even after his retirement on April 1, 2019.
Instead of calling the report based on facts, the order says, Dr Bukhari pressurised the zonal administrator of Auqaf, Lahore (West), to submit a report in the favour of the applicant by writing the comments: “Hasb-e-Istada Karwai ho” in spite of having knowledge that no Khateeb house could be allotted to any private person, which is tantamount to corruption, inefficiency and misconduct under the provisions of Peeda Act 2006.
The order says, on the accused officer’s direction, the Lahore ex-zonal administrator submitted his report in favour of this illegal allotment on Dec 23, 2023. With active connivance of field officers-- manager circle 2, Lahore, and zonal administrator, Lahore West -- the former secretary, who was in close contact with Mufti Ishaq Saqi, allotted the reserved house illegally to a private person on Dec 28, 2023, the order says.
As per the order, the former secretary’s representative, Khalid Mehmood Sandhu, ex-director (Estate), attended a meeting, chaired by the then Local Govt and Community Development (LG&CD) department secretary, regarding payment of compensation to the affected persons of Neela Gumbad project on Aug 29, 2025. However, Mr Sandhu deliberately did not mention during the meeting that compensation of the said house could not be made to the illegal allottee, for it being a reserved house.
“Minutes of the 29th meeting of Provincial Cabinet held on Oct 06, 2025, transpire vide para 102.5 and 102.6 that you deliberately did not mention there that compensation of the said house cannot be made to the illegal allottee,” the order says.
Besides allotting the house illegally, the former secretary also caused a huge loss of Rs8.162m to the exchequer, as the amount was paid as compensation for the house to Shahid Ishaq, which is tantamount to corruption, inefficiency and misconduct under the Peeda Act, 2006.
The government has asked the accused former secretary to submit his written defence to the inquiry officer within seven days of the date of receipt of this order.
As both Dr Bukhari and Khalid Sandhu are also accused of financial irregularities in public funds, the order recommends recovery of around Rs34m from them.
After approval of the chief secretary, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Nabeel Javed, in April 2026, was entrusted with the task to conduct a probe into the allegations against the two officers.
Earlier, responding to a Dawn query about the status of the probe against the two officers, Mr Javed had said it was “in process”.
Meanwhile, the Auqaf department has appointed Deputy Director (Admin) Azeem Hayat as departmental representative, allowing the accused officers to consult the record on which the aforesaid charges are based, if he desires so, within seven days of the receipt of the order.
Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2026
