Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman has given the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) a free hand to proceed against government officials involved in corrupt practices, warning that no officer or official would be spared on account of rank, influence or position. The decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting convened to review implementation of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif's zero-tolerance policy against corruption across the province.

Administrative secretaries, Director General Anti-Corruption Sohail Zafar Chattha and heads of various provincial departments attended the meeting, according to informed sources. Mr Zaman told the senior officers that the chief minister's anti-corruption policy would be implemented in letter and spirit and that there would be no compromise on corruption. He said the provincial government had appointed some of the best administrative heads and made it clear that failure to curb corrupt practices despite such arrangements would be viewed seriously.

Speaking to the senior administrative officers, Mr Chattha directed them to first ensure that corruption was controlled within their respective departments. He warned that failure to do so could result in the registration of cases and arrests by the ACE against officials found involved in corruption, irrespective of their influence or position. Mr Chattha said the chief minister had initially tasked the anti-corruption agency with addressing complaints and concerns relating particularly to the police and revenue departments, two of the government sectors that routinely interact with citizens over law enforcement, land records, taxation and other public services.

The move is aimed at ensuring that officials with questionable reputations or allegations of corrupt conduct do not continue to occupy field positions where they exercise direct administrative or regulatory powers and frequently interact with the public. The government has also moved towards increasing surveillance of officials involved in field inspections. Talking to Daily Jang after the meeting, Mr Chattha said body cameras would be provided to officers conducting inspections of government institutions, schools and petrol pumps.