In a major crackdown on corruption, the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad has arrested three government officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) on charges of corruption, malpractice, and misappropriation of public funds. The officials—Meraj Afridi, Mehmood Irfan Qureshi, and Naeem Akhtar—were taken into custody following allegations of collusion with an occupation group and involvement in fraudulent activities related to government housing schemes.

Meraj Afridi and Mehmood Irfan Qureshi were serving as Assistant Executive Engineers in PWD, while Naeem Akhtar was posted as a Sub-Engineer in FGEHA. According to the initial investigation, the trio is accused of inflicting a financial loss of crores of rupees on the national treasury by abusing their official authority.

The fraudulent activities center around the Supplementary Award of Built-Up Properties (BUPs) in the sub-sectors of Village Thala Syedan G-14. It is alleged that the accused, while processing compensation claims for legitimate property owners, illegally declared private individuals as co-owners of at least five BUPs. These individuals reportedly received substantial financial benefits and plots through fake documentation and manipulated data, all facilitated by the accused government officials.

By exploiting their official positions, the accused orchestrated a scheme that not only violated public trust but also diverted valuable public resources for personal and external gain. The financial damage caused by this scam runs into crores, impacting both the integrity of government institutions and the rights of genuine claimants.

Following their arrest, a formal investigation has been launched to uncover the full extent of the corruption network, identify any further accomplices, and initiate legal proceedings against all those involved.