Chiniot [Pakistan], April 8 (ANI): The Chiniot City police have registered a case against 11 people, including a revenue patwari, for stealing 8,000 flour bags, Dawn reported.

The police have booked patwari Omair Nawaz, civil defence official Iqbal, Mulsim Flour Mills' employee Zeeshan Ali, Mulazim Hussain, Amjad Hussain, Farooq Azam, Munawar Hussain, Fakhar Imam, Shaukat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmad, and Manzar Abbas on the application of assistant commissioner office's clerk Muhammad Hassan.

Also Read | Pakistan: Suspicious Afghan Man Sneaks Into PM Shehbaz Sharif's House Despite Tight Security.

According to the FIR lodged at the city police station under Sections 420 and 408 of the Pakistan Penal Code, some fake tokens were caught at a flour distribution point at the Government Islamia College, Chiniot, Dawn reported.

An investigation revealed that Omair Nawaz was in charge of the record of tokens being issued to recipients of bags. He confessed to embezzling 7,000 to 8,000 tokens, resulting in a loss to the national exchequer to the tune of Pakistani Rs. 5 to 6 million.

Also Read | Ukraine Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova To Visit India on April 9, Likely To Seek Humanitarian Aid for Her Country.

Police have also arrested four people, and raids are on to arrest the remaining people.

In the Chiniot district, 500,000 bags have been distributed so far by the staff. Assistant Commissioner Majid Bin Ahmad said that the patwari has been suspended from service and an inquiry has also been initiated against him under the Punjab Employees Efficiency and Discipline Act, Dawn reported.

The scam puts question marks on the mechanism of the state-run charity scheme.

Bar Secretary Shahid Yaqoob said that there might be more such facilitators in the revenue department and that a weak FIR under Sections 420 and 408 would not be sufficient, and the suspects may get relief from the courts, Dawn reported.

He suggested a criminal case with the Anti-Corruption Establishment against them as they have not only caused a loss to the national exchequer but also raised questions on the transparency of the process of flour distribution in Chiniot, Dawn reported.

He demanded Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi visit Chiniot and order a high-level inquiry into the scam. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)