Islamabad – Zubair kasuri: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a Deputy Administrator of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in Islamabad on charges of corruption and extortion, and has uncovered evidence of a separate bribery scheme involving the auction of government land.
Imran Arif, Deputy Administrator ETPB, was apprehended on February 28th after allegedly extorting 3 million Pakistani Rupees from a citizen, Muhammad Shabbir, under the false promise of securing him a government job within the ETPB. The arrest follows the registration of an FIR (First Information Report) No. 08/2025 on February 27th, under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code related to bribery and the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1947.
During the investigation, FIA officials seized Arif’s mobile phone and discovered incriminating WhatsApp conversations. A review of the chats revealed a separate alleged bribery scheme involving the auction of 153 kanals and 5 marlas of ETPB land in Mouza Fatteh Jang, District Attock. According to the FIA, the chats suggest that Arif, along with another Deputy Administrator in Hassanabdal, Yasir Asghar (Cell No. 0321-4885554), and other senior ETPB officers, conspired to accept a 5 million Pakistani Rupee bribe to facilitate a contractor’s successful bid in the auction.
The FIA’s investigation is particularly sensitive given the ETPB’s mandate to retrieve and manage properties in accordance with directives from the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the One Man Commission led by Dr. Shoaib Suddle. The agency expressed alarm at the alleged involvement of ETPB officials in taking bribes for land that was retrieved under these directives.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the ETPB, the FIA has requested the complete record of tender award details related to the land auction by Monday, March 3rd, 2025. The agency has indicated that further details of the WhatsApp chat will be shared after forensic analysis is completed and that all ETPB officials involved in the alleged bribery scheme will be identified and investigated.
The Director of the FIA Islamabad Zone has also been notified of the ongoing investigation. The arrest and subsequent revelations have cast a shadow over the ETPB and raised concerns about corruption within the institution. The FIA’s investigation is ongoing, and further developments are expected in the coming days.
