Govt workers struck plea bargain deals worth Rs3b

Minister tells lower house that as many as 290 employees deposited cash to evade prosecution

ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of government employees—a majority of whom misused their authority for illegal financial gain — deposited a total sum of Rs3.04 billion with the national exchequer under the National Accountability Bureau’s plea bargain agreements.

In response to a question of a lawmaker, Law and Justice Minister Zahid Hamid told the house that as many as 290 government employees, involved in corruption, had deposited a total of Rs3.04 billion with the national exchequer.

The minister however, did not state the amount of money that had been embezzled by the government employees.



Interestingly, many high-cadre government employees and extremely low scale government employees like Patwaris and clerks had availed plea bargain deals and deposited billions to the exchequer.

According to the document available with The Express Tribune, ex-chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills, Usman Farooqui  made two massive plea bargain pacts with the NAB—one amounting to Rs301 million while the other was of Rs52 million. Farooqui’s Rs301 million plea bargain pact is the biggest deal in this context so far. He was found charged with corruption and of accumulating wealth in the shape of saving certificates.

A Patwari of Revenue Department (Lahore region) Asghar Ali made a plea bargain deal with NAB and deposited Rs65 million while another Patwari of the same region, Liaquat Ali Gulzar, also deposited Rs11 million under the same head.

Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Chief Central of Excise Department (Lahore Region), found guilty of owning assets beyond his means, returned Rs142 million to the government.

Ex-DIG Punjab prison Ghulam Sarwar Lalwani, who was charged for having assets beyond his means cut a Rs1.2 million deal with the NAB. Likewise Ghazanfar Iqbal Aujla, ex official of Wapda Housing Society in the region of Lahore, made a deal and paid NAB Rs16 million.

Multan’s ex-commissioner income tax Tahir Lateef Sheikh struck a deal of plea bargain amounting to Rs31 million while ex-divisional account officer of Pakistan Railways Umer Haq deposited Rs25 million.



Feroz Ahmed Khan, ex-superintendent FBR (Lahore region), who was facing the charges of misuse of the authority deposited Rs20 million while ex XEN Zila Council Lahore, Tariq Saeed deposited Rs13 million.

Lieutenant General (retd) Zahid Akbar Khan who was ex-chairman of Wapda Lahore on account of having assets beyond his means deposited Rs199 million under the plea bargain scheme.

In the Karachi region, driver at the Works and Services department Mukhtiar Ali Kori deposited Rs1.9 million.

Nadeem Ahmed, deputy director Sindh Building Control Authority who was involved in china cutting and land grabbing struck deal of Rs7.4 million while head constable, District Sukkar, Muhammad Rafiq made the bargain deal of Rs18.8 million.

Electric inspector, Irrigation Department, Sher Adam (K-P) made a bargain deal of Rs11 million while ex-secretary Food Department (K-P), Javed Alam Khanzada deposited Rs65 million.

General Manager PTCL (K-P), Saeed Wazir deposited Rs20 million, Tariq Tanveer, Superintendent Customs Department (K-P) deposited Rs25 million, ex-secretary Workers Welfare Board (K-P) Javed Anwar deposited Rs20 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2017.