The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Balochistan has registered a formal case against senior officials of the Irrigation Department, following months of public pressure over an alleged multi-billion-rupee embezzlement scheme involving the illegal auction of state-owned vehicles and heavy machinery at throwaway prices.

Officials said the ACE has arrested Talha Bugti, a key logistician linked to the scandal, and is now conducting raids across the province to apprehend the former Director General of Irrigation, Abdul Razzaq Khilji, along with five other nominated suspects.

The case falls under Inquiry No. 28/Q/2025, which names six individuals, including the former DG, in connection with the alleged plunder of public assets. Officials said the suspects are accused of selling costly official vehicles and heavy earth-moving machinery far below market value, causing significant losses to the public exchequer.

"While one prime suspect is in our custody, raids are ongoing to arrest the remaining accused," an ACE spokesperson said, adding that investigators are still working to quantify the total financial damage to the state.

News of the arrest brought a measure of relief to residents who had been raising the issue for months, though many say it's only a start. Civil society members and local residents have urged the ACE to widen its probe, arguing that corruption runs deep across the Irrigation Department and likely extends into other government departments as well.

"This is just a trailer. The real success will come when everyone who looted public resources is held accountable, without discrimination," a local activist said, adding that recovered funds and firm punishment need to follow. "The recovery of embezzled funds and stringent punishment must be ensured."

The ACE has said the inquiry will be conducted transparently and that no influential figure will be spared if found guilty. The department has also asked the public to come forward with any evidence of financial irregularities in other government wings.

Whether the case leads to real recoveries and sets a precedent for tackling corruption elsewhere in Balochistan's bureaucracy will depend on what the ongoing raids turn up.

Published in Balochistan Dispatch, August 17th , 2026