Fawad Chaudhry again booked for ‘corruption’

The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi has booked former federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry, his cousin and frontman and others in a case pertaining to allegedly taking millions of rupees in bribes and misuse of authority for grant of a no-objection certificate (NOC) and public land acquisition for the establishment of a private housing society in Dina area of GT Road.

In this regard, ACE Rawalpindi Director Khalid Yamin Satti has formed teams to arrest the nominated suspects which include, former federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry, his cousin and alleged frontman Fouq Sherbaz, Jhelum District Council’s former district officer planning and district planning and design committee secretary.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the alleged involvement of other public and private officials will be determined during the investigation. The case was registered after legal action was approved as a result of an inquiry on the source report.

Read Fawad arrested, taken to ‘unknown place’: wife

According to the contents of the First Information Report (FIR), a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, Fouq Sherbaz is a prominent figure in corruption and illegal activities and he is the cousin of former federal minister Fawad Chaudhary.

“Fouq Sherbaz signed an agreement with Pearl Global Housing Society at GT Road, Dina, Jhelum, accepted bribes totalling millions of rupees and took charge of all housing society works, NOC and land clearance,” read the contents of the FIR.

The ACE Rawalpindi launched a probe into the issue in April 2023. Evidence pertaining to the alleged misuse of power by Fouq Sherbaz and Fawad Chaudhary and taking more than Rs10 million from the administration of the private housing society emerged during the inquiry, it said and added that the inquiry officer recommended filing a case against the accused.

As a result of the findings, the ACE Rawalpindi registered a case against the accused and formed teams for their arrest.

Read NAB summons Fawad Chaudhry

It may be noted that former minister Fawad Chaudhary is incarcerated in the Central Jail Adiala in a separate case registered in Jhelum and is likely to be involved in the investigation of the case in jail.

Fawad, once regarded as one of the hawks in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced his departure from the former ruling party on May 24, just weeks after authorities initiated a heavy-handed crackdown against people, mostly PTI leaders, workers, and sympathisers who had allegedly committed acts of vandalism following the arrest of PTI Chairperson Imran Khan on May 9.

The former federal minister, who initially expressed his plan to take a break from politics during his May 24 news conference, was soon spotted in meetings of disgruntled PTI leaders who later announced the formation of a new party, the IPP.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2023.