Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The recent decision by Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) Administration Member Muhammad Yasir Pirzada to improve governance within the civic body has been met with a strong response from the workers’ union.

Pirzada has introduced a number of new policies to end discrimination and illegalities that occurred during tenure of the previous administration. He recently took a strong stance on the findings of a committee, constituted to probe the allegations regarding upgrading and change of cadre of 1,068 employees.

According to the findings of the committee, most of up-gradation/re-designation cases were approved without following the predetermined procedure.

The report further stated that these cases were dealt on the basis of personal like and dislike. The committee also recommended de-notifying all such illegal up-gradations and re-designations.

The report was compiled by a three-member committee last month. It was headed by Ejaz Ahmed Siddiqui, who has since retired, Administration Officer Aftab Saleem and Public Relations Director Mazhar Hussain.

Based on the findings of the inquiry committee, Pirzada ordered the Administration Wing to issue charge-sheets to employees who were given out of the way promotions.

According to sources, the CDA Employees Union initially tried to stop the issuance of charge-sheets. “When this failed, union General Secretary Chaudhry Muhammad Yaseen staged a protest within authority’s premises on Tuesday to put pressure on Pirzada,” sources said.

While addressing the protesters, the leaders of workers’ union alleged that the Administration member was pursuing anti-labour policies and demanded his removal from the post within seven days.

Employees who received explanation letters said that their cases should be dealt with by taking all aspects into consideration.

Sources inside the Human Recourse Directorate (HRD) said that though irregularities persisted in most of the cases, several employees were promoted purely on merit after following due process of law.

When contacted, Administration Member Yasir Pirzada said: “The explanation letters have been issued on the basis of the findings of the inquiry committee. We are not going to reverse anything in one go.”

“Everyone will be given adequate opportunities to defend his case. If he fails to justify his promotion, then he will have to face the consequences,” he said.

Talking to Daily Times, an officer of the authority who was promoted to the next grade, said: “I served in the same grade for more than 20 years. I never applied for up-gradation. If the management of that period upgraded me due to my long years of service, it is not my fault.”

Muhammad Yasir Pirzada is a Grade-19 officer of the Inland Revenue Service Group. He joined CDA in December 2016.

Published in Daily Times, July 19^th , 2017.