The Punjab government has ordered disciplinary proceedings under the Peeda Act—the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006—against former Auqaf secretary and chief administrator Dr Tahir Raza Bukhari. The BS-20 officer is accused of abusing his authority by allotting a government-reserved Khateeb’s residence at Jamia Masjid, Neela Gumbad, to a private person and of enabling Rs8.162 million in compensation against that state property.
The Punjab chief minister, acting as competent authority, named Planning and Development Board Chairman Dr Naeem Rauf as inquiry officer under Section 5(1)(b) read with Section 9 of the Peeda Act. The inquiry officer must send his report and recommendations to the Auqaf secretary within 60 days of the inquiry’s start. Dr Bukhari has been told to submit a written defence to the inquiry officer within seven days of receiving the order.
Alleged allotment of reserved Unit-54
According to the order, Shahid Ishaq, son of retired provincial Khateeb Mufti Muhammad Ishaq Saqi, applied on 19 December 2023 for allotment of Unit-54, the house attached to the Neela Gumbad mosque and reserved for its Khateeb. The order states that Mufti Ishaq Saqi had continued living there after retiring on 1 April 2019.
The order says Dr Bukhari pressed the Auqaf zonal administrator for Lahore (West) to favour the applicant—writing comments seeking action as requested—despite knowing a Khateeb house could not be given to a private person. On that direction, the then zonal administrator filed a favourable report on 23 December 2023. With the involvement of the manager of circle 2, Lahore, and the Lahore West zonal administrator, the house was allotted to Shahid Ishaq on 28 December 2023, the order alleges, while Dr Bukhari remained in close contact with Mufti Ishaq Saqi.
Compensation and Cabinet meeting record
The order further states that Khalid Mehmood Sandhu, then director (Estate) and described as the former secretary’s representative, attended a 29 August 2025 meeting chaired by the then Local Government and Community Development secretary on compensation for people affected by the Neela Gumbad project. It alleges Mr Sandhu did not state that compensation for the reserved house could not go to an illegal allottee.
Minutes of the 29th Provincial Cabinet meeting on 6 October 2025, cited in paragraphs 102.5 and 102.6 of the order, are used to allege that this omission was deliberate. The order says that, besides the illegal allotment, paying Rs8.162 million as compensation to Shahid Ishaq caused a large loss to the exchequer and amounts to corruption, inefficiency and misconduct under the Peeda Act.
Wider probe and next steps
As both Dr Bukhari and Khalid Sandhu are also accused of financial irregularities in public funds, the order recommends recovering about Rs34 million from them. After the chief secretary’s approval, Senior Member Board of Revenue Nabeel Javed was in April 2026 tasked with probing those allegations; when asked about that probe’s status, he said it was “in process”.
The Auqaf department has named Deputy Director (Admin) Azeem Hayat as departmental representative so the accused may consult the record behind the charges within seven days of receiving the order, if they wish.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 1 April 2019: Mufti Muhammad Ishaq Saqi retires; the order says he kept occupying the Khateeb house.
- 19–28 December 2023: Shahid Ishaq applies for Unit-54; a favourable field report is filed; the house is allotted to him.
- 29 August 2025: Compensation meeting for the Neela Gumbad project; the order says the reserved status was not flagged for the allottee.
- 6 October 2025: Provincial Cabinet minutes later cited over the alleged omission on compensation.
- April 2026: SMBR Nabeel Javed is entrusted with a separate probe into alleged financial irregularities involving the two officers.
- Latest order: Peeda Act proceedings begin against Dr Bukhari, with a 60-day inquiry window and seven days to file a defence.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab sarkar ne pehle Auqaf secretary Dr Tahir Raza Bukhari ke khilaf Peeda Act ke mutabiq inquiry shuru kar di hai. Ilzam yeh hai ke Neela Gumbad masjid ka Khateeb wala ghar ghalat tareeqe se kisi khas shakhs ko de diya gaya. Us ghar par sarkari paisa, lagbhag 81.62 lakh rupay, muawza ke tor par bhi diya gaya. Ab inquiry officer 60 din mein report dega, aur aam logon ke tax ke paise ki hifazat ka yeh mamla hai.
