How to Report Corruption in Punjab: Call 1350 or File a Written Complaint With ACE

Short answer: To report a public servant in Punjab for corruption, call 1350 or go to any Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) office with a written complaint, an affidavit and a photocopy of your CNIC. ACE says it normally disposes of a complaint within one week, then an enquiry follows.

A clerk who wants "something extra" for a land record, a constable who will not file your report until you pay, a school office that asks for a fee that is not on any list. Most people in Punjab have met one of these and gone home quiet because they did not know where the complaint goes.

It goes to ACE Punjab, an attached department of the Services and General Administration Department. We read its website on 12 October 2026. Here is the process in the order you will meet it.

Call 1350 or file in writing at any ACE office

ACE gives the helpline 1350 on every page of its site. For a formal complaint it asks for a written application, so the phone call is the first step, not the last. The headquarters is at 2-Farid Kot House, Lahore, on (042) 99211308 and 99213982.

ACE's own FAQ says a complaint can be lodged at any ACE office. That means the Directorate, a Regional Office or the Deputy Director's office in your district. You do not have to travel to Lahore.

Write the complaint so an officer can act on it

ACE needs enough detail to test your claim. A complaint that says "the patwari is corrupt" gives an officer nothing to check. One that names the official, the date, the office and the amount can be verified.

1. Write who you are, your CNIC number, your address and a phone number that works.
2. Name the public servant and the office and department where they work.
3. State what happened, on which date, and what was asked of you, in plain sentences.
4. Give the amount, if money was demanded or paid, and say how it was demanded.
5. List what proof you hold: receipts, messages, call records, names of witnesses.
6. Swear the affidavit that the contents are true, attach your CNIC copy and sign.

Keep a copy of everything and ask for a receipt number at the counter. If you post the complaint, send it by a trackable courier and keep the slip.

An enquiry tests your complaint before any case is registered

After the first decision, ACE opens an enquiry. Under Rule 5 of the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment Rules, 2014, the enquiry checks whether the complaint is genuine. ACE says this protects public servants and citizens from being called in on a false complaint.

Parties are called and asked for their version. The enquiry officer then draws a conclusion from the evidence. Three outcomes follow, according to ACE's own pages.

• The allegation is not proved, and the enquiry is dropped or sent to the department for its own action.
• There is a procedural fault but no crime, and ACE moves the department for departmental action.
• A crime appears to be made out, and a case is registered at an ACE police station under Rule 6.

Be ready to attend and to repeat your account.

A trap raid is planned from a complaint, so contact ACE before paying

ACE explains that a trap raid is used to catch an official in the act of taking a bribe. It is arranged on a complaint, under the supervision of a judicial magistrate named by the district and sessions judge. A preliminary enquiry is not needed in trap raid cases.

That is why the order matters. The process starts with your complaint. If you have already paid and then complain, the record is different from a case where ACE was told in advance. We are not lawyers, so ask the ACE officer how your own case should be handled.

The ACE homepage, in a highlight dated 27 August 2026, says it started a province-wide operation against corrupt officials, with a first phase aimed at the police and revenue departments. If your complaint is about a land record office, our guide to finding the nearest PLRA land record centre helps you name the right office in your complaint.

Know what ACE does not cover

ACE deals with criminal misconduct by public servants. It is not the place for every grievance. A delayed file, a rude clerk or a wrong bill needs a different door, and picking the right one saves weeks.

Common questions

What is the corruption helpline number in Punjab?

It is 1350, printed on every page of the ACE Punjab website and on the Punjab Portal helplines list.

Do I need a lawyer to file a complaint with ACE?

ACE's FAQ does not ask for one. It asks for a written complaint, an affidavit and a copy of your CNIC, by post or in person.

How long does ACE take to decide a complaint?

ACE says a complaint is normally disposed of within one week. An enquiry then follows, and the site gives no time limit for it.

Can I file from another city?

Yes. A complaint can be lodged at any ACE office, including Regional Offices and district Deputy Directors. ACE lists ten regions: Lahore A and B, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Multan and DG Khan.

Is there an app for reporting corruption?

The ACE site menu names a "Report Corruption App" and links a Google Play listing. We did not install or test it, so use 1350 or a written complaint if you need a sure route.

Will ACE keep my name secret?

The pages we read do not say. The complaint needs your name, CNIC and address, so ask the officer how it will be handled before you file.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the ACE Punjab homepage, its Complaint Handling, Enquiry, Case Registration, FAQs and Contact pages on 12 October 2026. We did not file a complaint or call the helpline. Rules and offices can change, so confirm with ACE before you act.

• Anti-Corruption Establishment, Government of the Punjab: ace.punjab.gov.pk
• Government of the Punjab, Punjab Portal helplines: punjab.gov.pk/helplines