Union Council secretary arrested in Sheikhupura bribery case

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab has arrested a Union Council secretary for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs10,000

SHEIKHUPURA:  The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab has arrested a Union Council secretary for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs10,000 from a citizen in exchange for correcting details on his daughter’s birth certificate.

The action was carried out on the special directions of Sohail Zafar Chattha, Director General of the Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab, as part of the department’s ongoing campaign against corruption.

According to officials, Rana Khawar Abbas, In-charge of the Sheikhupura Circle, conducted the raid with the assistance of Assistant Sub-Inspector Nazir Khan. The team reportedly arrested Shahid, Secretary of Union Council Mandiali, while he was allegedly receiving Rs10,000 as a bribe.

The case came to light after Kamran Afzal, a resident of Kot Abdul Malik, approached the anti-corruption authorities and submitted a formal complaint regarding an error in his daughter’s birth certificate.

According to the complaint, the details of the child’s mother had been entered incorrectly in the official birth record. Kamran Afzal stated that he has two wives and that the name of his second wife had mistakenly been recorded on his daughter’s birth certificate.

He approached the relevant Union Council office to have the record corrected and sought the removal of the incorrect information from the official document.

However, according to the complaint, Union Council Secretary Shahid allegedly demanded Rs10,000 from him in return for carrying out the correction.

After receiving the complaint, the Anti-Corruption Establishment officials initiated proceedings and planned a trap operation to verify the allegation and catch the suspect in the act.

Rana Khawar Abbas subsequently led the operation in coordination with Assistant Sub-Inspector Nazir Khan. During the raid, the officials allegedly caught Secretary Shahid red-handed while he was accepting the reported bribe of Rs10,000.

The accused was taken into custody immediately following the operation.

Following the arrest, the Anti-Corruption Establishment registered a case against the accused official and launched a formal investigation into the matter. Officials said further legal action would be taken in accordance with the findings of the investigation.

The raid is part of the broader anti-corruption drive being conducted by ACE Punjab under the direction of its senior leadership. The department has been taking action against public officials accused of demanding or receiving illegal payments from citizens for carrying out official duties.

The incident has once again highlighted concerns regarding alleged corruption in public service offices, where citizens sometimes face demands for unofficial payments for routine administrative services.

The authorities said the complaint submitted by the citizen was investigated through the prescribed legal procedure before the trap raid was conducted.

ACE officials reiterated that action would continue against government employees found involved in corrupt practices and that complaints regarding bribery and misuse of official authority would be dealt with under the relevant laws.

The investigation into the Sheikhupura case is currently underway, while officials are expected to determine the full circumstances surrounding the alleged demand and acceptance of the bribe.

The accused Union Council secretary remains subject to the legal process, and further developments are expected as the investigation proceeds.