MUZAFFARGARH/ DERA GHAZI KHAN: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) registered a case against the executive engineer (EXEN) of the buildings department, a sub-divisional officer (SDO), a sub-engineer for allegedly issuing advance payment for a project to two contractors, which was never initiated. The case was also registered against the contractors.

ACE Director Shahid Mahboob ordered the registration of the case against officials and contractors on the complaint of member of the public Younis.

Sources said the buildings department was to build three offices for the agriculture department at Koh-i-Sulaiman where the work was allotted to contractors Aftab Buzdar and Dost Buzdar.

The contractors using political influence pressurised EXEN Muhammad Waqas, Taunsa SDO Sharif Shabir Hussain, and Sub-Engineer Tanveer Husain and got released Rs6 million in advance.

Reliable sources told Dawn that the work order for the construction of the of fices was issued on April 14, 2021, and the work was to complete in the next six months. But after the passage of one year, work could not be started on the project.

When the ACE learnt about the case, a technical team of the ACE visited Koh-i-Sulaiman.

Later, the case was registered under sections 5 2/47, and 409 of PCA on June 10 after the accomplishment of the investigation.

Talking to Dawn, EXEN Waqas, however, said that the case was registered under political pressure as he never gave any advance payment to contractors. He said the work was completed at the sites within the stipulated time.

Earlier, a job scandal surfaced in Taunsa Sharif in which a female headmistress belonging to the Buzdar tribe was accused of obtaining money from job seekers.