OKARA: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has registered a case against former prime minister’s wife Bushra Bibi, her brother Muhammad Mujtaba Wattoo, contractor Muhammad Riaz, sub-engineer Ali Raza, and the tehsil officer-infrastructure of Dipalpur. The case was registered under Section 5/2-47 of the Prohibition of Corruption Act (PCA) and various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the ACE police station of Okara.

After the registration of the case, Bushra Bibi obtained pre-arrest bail from the Lahore High Court until July 6.

According to the FIR, on the orders of the Sahiwal ACE, a three-member team completed an inquiry, which states that in the fiscal year 2021-22, Mauza Koaiki Bahawal was declared a model village, and the approval was given for the construction of roads, sewerage drains, brick lining, and solar street lights in the model village.

However, it was discovered that Mr Wattoo, in collusion with the staff of the Dipalpur Tehsil Council, managed to award the contract for these development schemes to contractor Muhammad Riaz of Muhammad Afzal & Sons.

The FIR states that while some minor work was completed in the village, the major construction was carried out at Wattoo’s farmhouse (dera).

Moreover, the solar street lights, which were priced at Rs 60,000-65,000 per unit, were installed at the ‘dera’ instead of the village streets. The existing three kilometre road from Chorasta Mian Khan to Koaiki Bahawal, which was already constructed, was renovated using substandard materials.

The measurement book was allegedly prepared with fake and bogus entries, which constitutes a cognizable offense under the PCA.

On the recommendation of the inquiry team, a case has been registered against Bushra Bibi as an assister and her brother as a beneficiary. Contractor Riaz, Chaudhry Shabbir Ahmad (tehsil officer infrastructure), and sub-engineer Ali Raza are also named as suspects. They are alleged to have caused significant losses to the public exchequer, amounting to Rs24.975 million as an extra amount beyond the estimated cost.

On the report ACE ASI Muhammad Aslam, the case was registered under sections 5/2/47 of the PCA and sections 409, 109, 420, 468 and 471 of the PPC.

Okara Circle ACE Deputy Director Malik Tasawwar Ali told Dawn that the nominated suspects, including Bushra Bibi and her brother, were issued notices to personally join the investigation, but they did not appear.

However, on July 6, the Okara Circle ACE will appear in the court of Justice Amjad Rafique with the record. Throughout the day, two senior officials, Deputy Director of Prosecution Muhammad Tahir Manzoor and Assistant Director-Legal Farzana Batool, remained present at the CE Okara Circle office in case the suspects arrived to join the investigation.

On the other hand, the Insaf Lawyers Forum district president, Mirza Zulifqar Ali, told Dawn that he visited the ACE local office with a statement from Bushra Bibi regarding the case, but the office refused to accept it as it was mandatory for Bushra Bibi and her brother to be present in person to join the investigation.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2023