SAHIWAL: School Education Department Secretary Khalid Nazir Wattoo suspended a head clerk of the District Education Authority on corruption charges.

The action against Rana Muhammad Ayub, the head clerk, was taken under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act 2006. Ayub was accused of conspiring with Dr Muhammad Arshad, former CEO of district education authority, who himself was facing a departmental inquiry for alleged corruption amounting to Rs225m during his tenure as CEO education of Sahiwal and Okara districts.

According to reports, Ayub, who was a junior clerk at the time, was named in two inquiries initiated by the then deputy commissioner, Sahiwal on May 18 and June 17, 2023.

Following the inquiries, Dr Arshad’s services were surrendered and proceedings under the PEEDA Act were launched against him by the DC. Ayub was accused of facilitating Dr Arshad as his assistant in accepting bribes from 25 individuals for illegal inductions of 413 Class-IV employees. Additionally, Ayub allegedly fabricated bogus bills worth Rs460,000 under the CC Grant for Rahmatul Almeen functions, transferring the amount from official to his own personal account.

Meanwhile, on the directive of chief minister and report filed by DC Sahiwal, Waqar Azeem, managing director Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority, is conducting an inquiry into charges against Dr Arshad for Rs225m corruption under the PEEDA Act since January 2025.

However, Nazia Hussain Sindho, assistant director (Investigation and Intelligence) at the Director General Anti-Corruption Establishment (DAC), Punjab, has given a clean chit to Dr Arshad in the corruption case and filed an ‘exit report’ in the Rs225m corruption cased registered with ACE, Okara, on complaint of Muhammad Akram, a senior citizen.

The report was legally challenged by Akram through his counsel, Rao Nazar Farid. Asif Bashir, special judge Anti-Corruption Establishment, Sahiwal, rejected the exit report on Tuesday and set March 21 as the next hearing. Nazia Hussain was contacted by Dawn multiple times for her version but in vain.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025