Graft accusation: ACE to look into assets of Pindi DC, Cantt board chiefs

Petition in LHC accuses them of getting gratification from encroachers to turn blind eye.

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Tuesday directed the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to collect details of the assets of top district administration and cantonment board officials.

LHC Rawalpindi bench Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi asked ACE to initiate an inquiry into the assets of Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Talat Mahmood Gondal and his subordinate staff in a case relating to the removal of encroachments from the city. The court also directed FIA director to initiate similar inquiries into the assets of the Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards’ executive officers.

Justice Lodhi was hearing a contempt of court petition filed by Advocate Anwar Dar against the municipal authorities for not following earlier court orders regarding the removal of encroachments from main roads and markets in the garrison city.

In his order, Justice Lodhi noted, “When inquired from all present in the court to point out as to whether anyone from the municipal administration or cantonment boards is in a position to indicate even one locality of Rawalpindi city or cantonment areas, which is free from all encroachments, there is complete silence. On the face of it, the public servants responsible for removal of encroachments are guilty of abusing their positions…reportedly by accepting pecuniary advantages.”

The judge further said, “There is a possibility that some public servants are living beyond their means or either they or their dependents are holding properties disproportionate to their known sources of income. This requires a probe by ACE.”

The next hearing is on January 26.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2017.