Tuesday, the Punjab government arrested the Chief Constable of the Traffic Police Department for corruption. The constable was charged with taking bribes worth Rs. 18000.
Authorities conducted a raid and caught the accused while he was eating kulfi. They took the kulfi from him and checked his pockets. As a result, they recovered the Rs. 18000 bribes.
Read more: The growing concern of bribery in Pakistan
The Anti-Corruption Establishment of Punjab uploaded a video of the raid on its official Twitter account.
“The fun of eating kulfi is from earning halal. Chief Constable of Traffic Police Department Bhakkar Muhammad Idrees arrested for taking 18,000 bribes. When the anti-corruption raid, the corrupt official was having fun,” the tweet read.
https://twitter.com/ace_punjab/status/1432555449958780931?s=20
The public reacts to the arrest
Traffic wardens are notorious for harassing the public in exchange for bribes. Citizens frequently complain about traffic wardens stopping them pointlessly and demanding money.
Therefore, netizens appreciated the diligence of the Anti-corruption forces. They claimed that it is important to book such corrupt individuals. They also urged the Anti-corruption establishment to go after politicians with the same level of rigor.
On this note, some Twitteratis clamored to defend the constable. They criticized the Anti-corruption establishment for going after ordinary officers and humiliating them while top corrupt individuals go scot-free.
Furthermore, they said Rs. 18000 was not a big amount as there are “bigger fish to fry.” To clarify, the critics hint at politicians accused of looting the public’s money.
Read more: Nawaz Sharif tried to bribe army officers: Ijaz-ul-Haq
PM Khan’s anti-corruption drive
In a bid for a corruption-free Pakistan, PM Khan launched the Anti-Corruption Drive. Due to this, the Punjab government tightened measures and went after the accused.
PM Khan also hailed the Punjab government for launching an anti-corruption app, and “recovering encroached land worth billions of rupees”.
“For the sake of survival,” PM Khan said, “the entire nation needed to participate in the anti-corruption drive, which will pave way for a modernistic outlook of the country.”
Read more: PM Khan in Malaysia: Why opposition is afraid of anti-corruption speeches?