In a significant development, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has recovered Rs2 billion as part of an ongoing investigation into a major corruption scandal implicating officials from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in Sheikhupura. The investigation, launched in September 2024 under the supervision of NAB Lahore Director General Ghulam Safdar Shah, centers around the alleged issuance of approximately Rs5 billion in fraudulent cheques by PHED and District Accounts Office personnel.
The initial installment of the recovered funds was formally handed over to Additional Secretary Finance, Punjab, Khalid Mehmood, at the NAB Lahore office. During the inquiry, several accused individuals admitted to their involvement and submitted plea bargain requests totaling Rs2 billion, which were subsequently approved by the Accountability Court in Lahore.
Following this approval, NAB Lahore swiftly secured the recovery, depositing the first portion of the recovered amount into the national treasury. Director General Ghulam Safdar Shah lauded the investigation team for their outstanding work, emphasizing that such a rapid recovery of misappropriated public funds demonstrates their dedication and capabilities.
He further stated that investigations are continuing against other individuals suspected of involvement in the alleged embezzlement. Ghulam Safdar stressed NAB’s commitment to providing immediate relief to the public and reiterated that all efforts are being made to achieve this. As part of this commitment, NAB has initiated the process of auctioning off seized properties belonging to the accused, with the aim of recovering and returning the stolen funds to their rightful owners. A public auction of confiscated properties was recently held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Lahore, and similar auctions will continue in other districts according to a predetermined schedule.
