Pakistan economic crisis: Civil Defence Official among 11 booked for stealing 8,000 free flour bags

Chiniot [Pakistan], April 8 : The Chiniot City police have registered a case against 11 people, including a revenue patwari, for stealing 8,000 flour bags, Dawn reported.

The police have booked patwari Omair Nawaz, civil defence official Iqbal, Mulsim Flour Mills' employee Zeeshan Ali, Mulazim Hussain, Amjad Hussain, Farooq Azam, Munawar Hussain, Fakhar Imam, Shaukat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmad, and Manzar Abbas on the application of assistant commissioner office's clerk Muhammad Hassan.

According to the FIR lodged at the city police station under Sections 420 and 408 of the Pakistan Penal Code, some fake tokens were caught at a flour distribution point at the Government Islamia College, Chiniot, Dawn reported.

An investigation revealed that Omair Nawaz was in charge of the record of tokens being issued to recipients of bags. He confessed to embezzling 7,000 to 8,000 tokens, resulting in a loss to the national exchequer to the tune of Pakist Rs. 5 to 6 million.

Police have also arrested four people, and raids are on to arrest the remaining people.

In the Chiniot district, 500,000 bags have been distributed so far by the staff. Assistant Commissioner Majid Bin Ahmad said that the patwari has been suspended from service and an inquiry has also been initiated against him under the Punjab Employees Efficiency and Discipline Act, Dawn reported.

The scam puts question marks on the mechsm of the state-run charity scheme.

Bar Secretary Shahid Yaqoob said that there might be more such facilitators in the revenue department and that a weak FIR under Sections 420 and 408 would not be sufficient, and the suspects may get relief from the courts, Dawn reported.

He suggested a criminal case with the Anti-Corruption Establishment against them as they have not only caused a loss to the national exchequer but also raised questions on the transparency of the process of flour distribution in Chiniot, Dawn reported.

He demanded Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi visit Chiniot and order a high-level inquiry into the scam.