Imran boasts performance of sharp-toothed watchdogs

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said the performance of the anti-corruption wing of the Punjab government, including recovery of dirty money and encroached state land, was remarkable when compared to the "dismal" performance of accountability watchdogs in the last ten years of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in office.

“In the last 31 months of our government in Punjab, the Anti-Corruption [department] recovered Rs 220 billion, in contrast to dismal record of PML-N govt’s 10 yrs,” the prime minister wrote in a series of tweets.

The difference in anti corruption dept Punjab's performance during PTI govt & PMLN's 10 yrs is clearly visible in the results achieved so far. In the last 31 mths of our govt in Punjab anti corruption recovered Rs 220 bn, in contrast to dismal record of PMLN govt's 10 yrs.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 26, 2021

He said the difference in the performance of the department during the two governments was “clearly visible in the results [it has] achieved so far”.

He pointed to the reported recovery of encroached/occupied state land worth Rs192 billion since 2018 as compared to Rs2.6 billion under the two successive tenures of the PML-N in the province.

The prime minister also pointed to what he said was the recovery of Rs2.35 billion of looted money compared to Rs430 million in the last decade.

“Indirect cash recovery now stands at Rs26 billion in contrast to zero during PMLN’s last 10 years,” he said.