A large-scale corruption scandal has come to light in Data Ganj Bakhsh Town, Lahore, involving former Zonal Officer Planning (ZOP) Mehwish Naeem, multiple building inspectors, and a private builder allegedly named Rashid Khan. The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Lahore Region has officially registered a regular inquiry under case number E-499/2025 following preliminary verification of a complaint filed by a citizen, Manawar Hussain.
According to ACE officials, Mehwish Naeem and Rashid Khan have been summoned on April 24 along with all relevant documentation and records. They face serious allegations of abuse of power, financial misconduct, and the unlawful approval and facilitation of more than a dozen commercial constructions in the Islam Pura area – all allegedly without proper building plan approvals or payment of mandatory government fees.
Sources claim that illegal activities were systematically facilitated during Mehwish Naeem’s tenure as ZOP. Several of these buildings were reportedly constructed during nighttime hours to avoid detection by media and regulatory authorities. Investigators also allege that the implicated building inspectors not only turned a blind eye but actively supported the builder’s operations.
Urban rights groups and local citizens have demanded that the Anti-Corruption Establishment take the inquiry to its logical conclusion. They insist that stern legal action be initiated against all responsible officials and that every rupee of public money lost be recovered from those involved.
