The Punjab government and DMGs have joined hands to save Ring Road scam suspect former Rawalpindi commissioner Capt (r) Muhammad Mehmood and other key government figures, 24NewsHD TV Channel reported on Thursday. 

The authorities have referred the case of Mehmood to the anti-corruption instead of handing him over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The anti-corruption is known for a weak prosecution with just a five percent punishment record while the NAB has a stronger prosecution with a 78 percent punishment record and has a powerful plea bargain history. 

Anti-corruption DG Gohar Nafees is the right hand of the PM's aide on accountability Shahzad Akbar. Nafees obeys Shehzad Akbar's orders only. He has turned a deaf ear to all bigwigs including Punjab CM Usman Buzdar and the chief secretary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djw-uHCXs_w

The PM aide has been in action to save the key PTI figures – Ch Ghulam Sarwar and Zulfi Bokhari – from being exposed and punished for their alleged involvement in the scam. Last week, ex-special assistant to PM Zulfi sent a defamation notice of Rs1 billion to Rawalpindi Commissioner Gulzar Hussain Shah, the officer who had prepared a report on the Rawalpindi Ring Road scam.

Moreover, the ex-commissioner has his badge mates who have a say in the top bureaucrats. Prime Minister Imran Khan who was voted to power on the promise of waging a war on corruption is being cheated by this racket.

Sources in Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Department said Wednesday that Mehmood was arrested. He was presented before a magistrate that granted the anti-corruption four-day remand and issued directives to present him on July 19.

Mehmood’s name surfaced as the main character in the Ring Road scandal and was accused of enhancing the stretch of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project against the original map and altering the Ring Road map. He allegedly added societies in the Ring Road Project and even did not answer satisfactorily in the inquiries. He previously served as Punjab agriculture secretary. He is an officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS). 

Reporter Qaisar Khokhar