QUETTA: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Balochistan has unearthed a major scandal involving fake promotions within the Balochistan Levies Force, leading to multiple arrests and ongoing raids to apprehend other suspects. The investigation was initiated based on a secret report, public complaints, and information circulating on social media, revealing a systematic scheme of forgery and corruption.
According to ACE officials, an inquiry led by Assistant Director Qambar Baloch and Investigating Officer Zubair Ahmed Alizai found that at least 20 Levies personnel in Zhob district were illegally promoted from Grade 07 to Havaldar (Grade 09). These promotions were processed through forged documents, with all related orders issued without proper approval or verification. The scandal extended beyond Zhob, with investigations confirming similar illegal promotions of six officials in Kachhi district. Furthermore, promotions from the rank of Risaldar to Risaldar Major in Qila Saifullah and other districts were discovered to be entirely bogus.
The Directorate General Levies Force and the provincial Home Department have officially declared all these promotion orders null and void. The ACE investigation revealed a network of officers and officials who colluded to prepare fake promotion orders, forge signatures of authorized officers, and systematically alter official records to facilitate these illegal advancements.
In a significant breakthrough, ACE teams have already arrested four key accused individuals: former Section Officer Jamshed Gul, Levies Clerk Syed Abid Shah, Risaldar Muhammad Tahir, and Assistant/Acting Private Secretary Saleem Lashari. Additionally, Risaldars Abdullah Khan, Ghulam Murtaza, Syed Tariq Shah, and Muhammad Arif have been implicated in the scandal. Raids are currently underway to arrest them, with their capture expected imminently. The ACE has stated that the accused worked in concert, and further investigative actions are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the corruption network.
Separately in a powerful address at a Grand Jirga in Loralai, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti reiterated his government’s zero-tolerance policy towards poppy cultivation and terrorism. He announced stringent measures, stating that individuals involved in poppy farming will be placed on the Fourth Schedule and have their lands confiscated.
