Pakistan

FIA arrests former PASSCO GM in wheat procurement scandal

FIA filed corruption charges in May against three PASSCO officials for embezzling over RS 1Bn.

News Desk August 13, 2024

Almost every year, there are headlines about wheat and sugar shortages or high prices, but nobody remembers the last time there was a rice crisis because government intervention is relatively minimal, with no minimum support price or export subsidy. photo: file

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The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested Zahoor Ahmed, former General Manager of Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation (PASSCO), in connection with a wheat procurement corruption case, media sources reported on Tuesday.

According to an FIA spokesperson, Zahoor Ahmed was taken into custody for allegedly altering the wheat procurement policy set by PASSCO's Managing Director.

The changes involved purchasing wheat from middlemen rather than directly from farmers, a deviation from the original policy.

Zahoor Ahmed reportedly issued a policy letter to district officers, using the MD’s signature to enforce this modification.

A case has been registered against Zahoor Ahmed, and the former PASSCO MD is also expected to be part of the ongoing investigation.

In May, the FIA registered a corruption case against three PASSCO officials, accusing them of embezzling over one billion rupees in a wheat distribution scam.

The case involves General Manager Field Zahoor Ranjha, Zonal Head Borewala Rao Akram, and Zonal Head Bahawalnagar Gibran Iqbal, who are facing charges related to significant financial misappropriations.