LAHORE — The Punjab Auqaf department has taken strict disciplinary action against five former senior officials and caretakers of the Data Darbar shrine for misconduct, gross negligence, and the systematic embezzlement of donations (Nazrana). The actions were finalized by Auqaf Secretary and Chief Administrator Dr. Ehsan Bhutta following a comprehensive inquiry conducted under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Peeda) Act, 2006.
Key Highlights
- Five former Auqaf officials face major penalties for embezzling donation box funds at Data Darbar.
- Authorities ordered a collective financial recovery of Rs20.59 million from the primary accused.
- Donations rose significantly—up to 150% at Data Darbar—once independent teams began monitoring the box openings.
- Penalties include demotion, removal from service, forfeiture of past service, and permanent bans from cash-handling roles.
- Surveillance and monitoring have also triggered donation increases at other major Punjab shrines, including Bibi Pak Daman and Baba Bulleh Shah.
Uncovering the Systemic Fraud
The embezzlement came to light after the Auqaf department monitored the opening of the shrine’s donation boxes for six months. Despite a 50 percent drop in devotee visits due to ongoing construction work, recorded donations actually rose from Rs4.48 million to Rs7.56 million once oversight was established. Following the probe, the department ordered the recovery of Rs20.59 million in misappropriated revenue from the accused.
Sheikh Jameel Ahmed (Former Administrator): Handed a five-year demotion to a lower post (BS-15), forfeiture of five years of past service, and a personal financial recovery order of Rs9.266 million. He is permanently banned from cash-handling or field revenue positions.
Tahir Maqsood (Former Manager): Removed from government service and ordered to personally repay Rs11.325 million.
Saqib Naseem (Former Stenographer): Penalized with the forfeiture of four years of past service and barred from working in confidential, media-sensitive, or security branches.
Muhammad Shareef and Noor Hussain (Ex-Caretakers): Hussain faced a three-year stoppage of annual increments. Shareef, while cleared in this specific report, faces separate disciplinary proceedings after a viral video exposed him stealing cash from a devotee. Both are permanently barred from postings at Data Darbar or other major shrines.
Protecting the Public Trust
Dr. Ehsan Bhutta stated that corruption within sacred religious institutions constitutes an egregious breach of public trust that will be dismantled through uncompromising legal mechanisms.
The special monitoring campaign has yielded similar upward trends in cash box collections across other major shrines in Punjab. Donations saw increases ranging from 25% to 90% at the Bibi Pak Daman shrine, 14.41% at the Baba Bulleh Shah shrine, 22.43% at Pir Makki, and 39% at the shrine of Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar.
