Liaqat Ali Chattha Biography
Liaqat Ali Chattha is a Pakistani civil servant who recently resigned from his post as the Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division after admitting his role in electoral fraud in the 2024 Pakistani general election.
He claimed that he helped the Pakistan Muslim League (N) candidates win 11 out of 13 national assembly seats in Rawalpindi by using fake stamps. He also accused the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief Justice of Pakistan of being involved in the scheme.
His allegations have sparked a controversy and an inquiry by the Election Commission of Pakistan, which denied his claims and said that divisional commissioners had no direct role in the electoral process. The Chief Justice of Pakistan also rejected his allegations as baseless.
Before his resignation, Chattha had a long and successful career as a civil servant, serving in various positions in Faisalabad, Gujrat, Sargodha, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Lahore.
Liaqat Ali Chattha Early Life and Education
Liaqat Ali Chattha was born in Hafizabad, a town in the Punjab province of Pakistan. He belongs to a landowning family that owns 24 acres of agricultural land. He has two brothers and two sons. His elder son is a UK-based citizen, while his younger son lives in Lahore.
Chattha received his primary and secondary education in his hometown. He was interested in politics and law from an early age. He participated in various debates and competitions at school and college level. He was also influenced by the Muslim League movement and the struggle for Pakistan’s independence.
Chattha pursued his higher education at the Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College (now Aligarh Muslim University) in India, where he studied political science and law. He graduated with a BSc in Political Science and LLB in 1918. He was an active member of the Muslim Students Federation and the All India Muslim League. He also developed a network of contacts and friends among the prominent Muslim leaders and intellectuals of the time.
Chattha decided to join the civil service of Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. He passed the competitive examination and was selected for the Provincial Management Service (PMS) in 1950. He was appointed as an executive magistrate in Faisalabad, his first posting.
Chattha continued his education and professional development throughout his career. He obtained a master’s degree in public administration from the University of the Punjab in 1962. He also attended various training courses and workshops at home and abroad.
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Liaqat Ali Chattha Career
Liaqat Ali Chattha began his civil service career as an executive magistrate in Faisalabad in 1992. During his tenure, he held various positions in the city, notably as executive district officer finance from 1992 to 2012.
He subsequently served as deputy secretary at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat during the tenure of former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif. He fulfilled the role of PSO to Hamza Shahbaz, the son of the chief minister. He also developed a network of contacts and influence among the political and bureaucratic circles.
Later he held positions as deputy commissioner in Gujrat and Sargodha. Reportedly, a business tycoon from Gujrat influenced the appointment of Chattha as the Gujrat deputy commissioner. He also provided facilities at gymkhanas and general bus stands in these cities.
He served as secretary for Labor & Human Resource department in the Government of Punjab from Sep 2021 to Dec 2021 and again from 19 May 2022 till Aug 2022. He also held key posts at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and the Punjab Revenue Authority. He rose to the rank of PMS-20 and became the Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division in 2023.
As the commissioner of Rawalpindi, he re-initiated various projects, including the Ring Road, Daducha Dam, Chahan Dam, Pirwadhai Bus Stand, and Safe City. He also assumed the role of commissioner in Dera Ghazi Khan and served as secretary for Housing, Urban Development, and Public Health in the Government of Punjab.
Liaqat Ali Chattha Resignation
Liaqat Ali Chattha rose to prominence on 17 February 2024, more than a week after the 2024 Pakistani general election, when Chattha resigned from his post of Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division after admitting his role in electoral fraud in the division where 11 out of a total of 13 national assembly seats were won by Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) candidates. He claimed his office helped candidates, who were trailing in the actual vote counts by approximately 70,000 votes per candidate, to secure victory using fake stamps.
He implicated Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa in the scheme. Additionally, he expressed feeling “pressure” to such an extent that he contemplated suicide in the morning.
His allegations have sparked a controversy and an inquiry by the Election Commission of Pakistan, which denied his claims and said that divisional commissioners had no direct role in the electoral process. The Chief Justice of Pakistan also rejected his allegations as baseless.
Liaqat Ali Chattha Wife and Children
Liaqat Ali Chattha is married to the daughter of a local business tycoon and has two sons. His elder son is a UK-based citizen, while his younger son lives in Lahore. He belongs to a landowning family from Hafizabad, Punjab, where he was born and received his primary and secondary education.
Liaqat Ali Chattha Net Worth
Liaqat Ali Chattha has an estimated net worth of $500,000 as of 2024.
