Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has secured convictions in only 1.2 per cent of the corruption cases it registered since 2018, official statistics show. The gap between the agency’s enforcement work and its success in court is wide.
Between 2018 and 2026, the agency received about 206,700 complaints, started 60,752 corruption inquiries and arrested 12,770 accused persons across the province. It filed 13,330 cases in different courts, yet its conviction rate remained at 1.2 per cent. Given the scale of complaints and inquiries, the low figure raises serious questions about the agency’s investigation and prosecution mechanisms.
Recoveries reported by the anti-corruption agency
The ACE reported direct recoveries of Rs38 billion from accused persons during the period. Indirect recoveries exceeded Rs350 billion, largely from retrieving state land and properties that influential individuals allegedly occupied or grabbed.
According to the official figures, the combined total exceeded Rs388 billion. The amount includes the value of state assets retrieved, not just cash recovered.
Yearly complaints, inquiries and cases since 2018
The ACE received around 16,355 complaints in 2026, compared with 24,312 in 2025 and 21,155 in 2024. During the tenure of incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the establishment registered around 4,100 cases and arrested 3,432 accused persons. It also secured convictions in 47 cases during this period.
Earlier figures show a similar pattern. In 2023, the agency received 26,263 complaints, 24,870 in 2022 and 28,134 in 2021. Its inquiries, cases and arrests for those years were as follows:
- 2023: 6,208 inquiries, 1,151 cases and 821 arrests
- 2022: 4,323 inquiries, 1,205 cases and 1,194 arrests
- 2021: 6,619 inquiries, 1,476 cases and 1,691 arrests
For 2018 to 2020, the data show the following:
- 2020: 22,349 complaints, 5,592 inquiries, 1,457 cases and 1,931 arrests
- 2019: 20,940 complaints, 5,238 inquiries, 1,340 cases and 1,597 arrests
- 2018: 22,373 complaints, 4,665 inquiries, 2,314 cases and 1,841 arrests
The figures show that the agency handled tens of thousands of complaints every year, though the number of inquiries, registered cases and arrests varied considerably.
Conviction record from 2006 to 2020
The ACE’s record in the earlier period also raises questions about turning investigations into successful prosecutions. According to official statistics, the establishment received 349,397 complaints and initiated 132,679 inquiries between 2006 and October 2020.
During that period, it arrested 17,179 accused persons, while courts acquitted 10,173. The agency registered around 28,926 cases, and courts recorded 695 convictions, according to the available figures. The ACE reported direct recoveries of Rs51 billion, while indirect recoveries exceeded Rs750 billion, particularly through the retrieval of state land.
The figures point to substantial recoveries and thousands of arrests. They also highlight the distance between complaints received, inquiries started, cases pursued in court and convictions secured.
Legal limits and the low number of convictions this year
The establishment has faced legal limitations on initiating inquiries against sitting lawmakers, according to the available information. The restrictions arise under the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment Rules, 2014, and the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act, 2006.
Separately, the figures show that only 11 convictions were recorded this year, against 1,127 registered corruption cases. The low number, despite the large volume of complaints, inquiries and arrests, underscores the challenges facing Punjab’s principal anti-corruption agency in turning investigations into successful legal proceedings.
