Seven arrested in Faisalabad over alleged Rs1bn corruption in Suthra Punjab Programme
By Bilal Haider :
The Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab has arrested seven officials, including a former senior officer of the Faisalabad Waste Management Company, over allegations of large-scale financial irregularities linked to the Suthra Punjab Programme that investigators say caused losses of nearly Rs1 billion to the national exchequer.
The arrests followed a complaint received by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif alleging manipulation of sanitation records, fake attendance entries and embezzlement of public funds during waste management operations in Faisalabad.
After the complaint surfaced, Director General Anti-Corruption Punjab Sohail Zafar Chattha ordered a formal inquiry into the allegations.
During raids carried out in Faisalabad, anti-corruption authorities arrested former FWMC chief executive officer Muhammad Rauf, Manager Operations Abdullah Nazir Bajwa, District Manager Operations Hafiz Tayyab, contractor Rai Qamaruz Zaman, Manager Procurement Waqar Asghar and two additional employees.
The suspects were later shifted to Lahore for further investigation as authorities widened the probe into the alleged misuse of public funds.
Investigators claim that officials of the waste management company, along with representatives of a private contractor operating under the Suthra Punjab Programme, colluded in fraudulent activities during sanitation operations conducted in 2024.
According to the inquiry findings, operational data was allegedly manipulated to inflate expenses and justify fraudulent payments.
Officials involved in the investigation alleged that records showed 2,317 waste containers in operation, while physical verification identified only 1,717 containers on the ground.
The inquiry also claimed that loader rickshaws were falsely recorded as mini dumpers in official documents, allegedly to increase operational costs and secure higher payments.
Authorities further alleged that salaries for hundreds of non-existent workers were drawn from government funds.
According to investigators, salaries for 633 so-called “ghost employees” were allegedly paid despite only a fraction of those workers being physically present in sanitation operations.
The investigation additionally found discrepancies in waste enclosure records, with only 33 waste enclosures reportedly identified during field inspections against 118 listed in official documents.
Officials say the accused also continued receiving funds linked to non-existent sanitation workers while irregularities were allegedly committed in payments made to field staff.
Several other officials and employees have also been named in the case, including IT Manager Asad Elahi, Finance Manager Ahsan Nadeem, Transport Officer Arshad Saleem Ansari and sanitary inspectors identified as Abid, Shafiq and Qaiser Khan.
Contractor Farooq Khan has likewise been included among the suspects facing allegations of causing financial losses through fraudulent practices and misrepresentation.
The Anti-Corruption Establishment said a high-level investigation had been launched following registration of the case to determine the full scale of the alleged corruption and identify all individuals involved.
Director General Sohail Zafar Chattha has constituted a special investigation team comprising senior anti-corruption officials, including Deputy Director Administration Nisar Ahmed Joiya, Deputy Director Vigilance Zawar Manzoor, Deputy Director Vigilance Muhammad Ahmed, Assistant Director Administration and Assistant Director Vigilance Zaigham Khalil.
The team has been tasked with conducting a detailed inquiry into the alleged irregularities, assessing the extent of financial losses and examining possible departmental involvement in the case.
The latest action comes as the Punjab government intensifies scrutiny of public sector projects and municipal operations amid growing emphasis on transparency and accountability in provincial development programmes.
The Suthra Punjab Programme was launched to improve sanitation systems and waste management services across urban centres in Punjab, with authorities presenting it as a flagship public cleanliness initiative.
However, the alleged irregularities in Faisalabad have raised questions about oversight mechanisms and monitoring procedures within large-scale municipal projects funded through public resources.
Political analysts say the arrests are likely to increase pressure on provincial authorities to strengthen accountability systems and ensure tighter monitoring of contractors and government departments involved in public service delivery projects.
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