Anti-corruption authorities in Dera Ghazi Khan have arrested a revenue official on charges of accepting a bribe. The official, identified as Muhammad Ashraf, a patwari in the revenue department, was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a citizen.
Sting Operation Leads to Arrest
According to sources, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab received a complaint from a local resident who claimed that the patwari was demanding a bribe to process his land mutation case. Following the complaint, ACE officials set up a sting operation. They provided the complainant with marked currency notes and monitored the transaction. When Muhammad Ashraf accepted the money, ACE officials raided the office and arrested him on the spot.
Legal Proceedings Underway
The arrested official has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The ACE team also seized the bribe money and other documents from his possession. The authorities have assured that strict action will be taken against the accused to serve as a deterrent for others involved in corrupt practices.
This arrest is part of a broader crackdown by the Punjab government against corruption in public offices. The ACE has intensified its operations across the province, targeting officials involved in bribery and extortion. Citizens have been encouraged to report any instances of corruption to the helpline.
The incident has drawn attention to the persistent issue of corruption in the revenue department, where land record management often becomes a source of illicit income for officials. The government has promised reforms to digitize land records and minimize human interaction to reduce corruption opportunities.
