Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A legislative body in the Upper House of the Parliament expressed its dissatisfaction over briefing given by Secretary Establishment regarding appointment of Mayor Islamabad Shaikh Ansar Aziz as the Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) and sought a legal opinion on said appointment from Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights in next meeting of the committee.

The Secretary Establishment Division on Tuesday briefed the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat about the legal aspects and criteria on which Shaikh Anser was appointed as Chairman CDA.

He informed the committee members that there is no illegality in the appointment of Shaikh Ansar as Chairman CDA as it is the mandate of Federal Government to appoint Members and Chairman CDA.

He further stressed that Ansar’s appointment has been made after reviewing all legal aspects, but the committee members showed their dissatisfaction over legal points briefed by Secretary Establishment to the committee.

Senator Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi said that how it is possible that a political person can be appointed on a public office, when said office has been holding by a senior civil servant since the creation of CDA.

Furthermore, Senator Osman Saifullah Khan has asked the appointment was made contradictory to the decisions of Apex Court, which bared political persons to hold public offices time to time. He said further Mayor is holding dual office, which is also a violation of Local Government Act 2016.

While countering legal reasoning produced by Secretary Establishment Division, Senator Kalsoom Parveen questioned, “Can you become the Mayor of Islamabad”. The Secretary Establishment Division replied negatively. Senator Kalsoom Parveen said, “If you cannot become Mayor as you are a civil servant then how a Mayor can be appointed on the post of civil servant.”

Senator Kalsoom further criticized the actions taken by Shaikh Ansar while exercising his powers as Chairman CDA and said, “Mayor is high jacked the civic body as he repatriated an officer from the Baluchistan soon next day of his appointment.

She considered repatriation as a harm for deprived province Baluchistan and said, “He was repatriated just after six months of his appointment in CDA; whereas, he had years left in his appointment on deputation in the authority.”

Mayor and Chairman of CDA Shaikh Answer Aziz while replying to criticism on him by Senator Kalsoom Parveen has said, “I am not only repatriated any person from Baluchistan on the bases of discrimination as I have also repatriated some persons belongs to different provinces.”

He replied further that the person which you are mentioning was removed from his post due to allegations of irregularities.

He informed the committee that a departmental inquiry is underway against the former Deputy Director General Land and Rehabilitation Abdul Salam Shah; whereas, the matter is also brought into the notice of FIA.

Senator Kalsoom Parveen became harsh on this point and asked Mayor to take action against all six persons as Abdul Salam Shah was not alone involved in the process of plot allotment, but a committee of six officers was constituted to allot the plots to affectees.

The Chairman of the Committee Senator Talha Mehmood while concluding the agenda item sought a detail reply from legal experts of Ministry of Law Justice and Human Rights on the legal criteria for the appointment of Shaikh Ansar Aziz as Chairman CDA.

He appreciated the Mayor Shaikh Ansar Aziz on his presence in the committee meeting and lauded his steps, which he took soon after assuming his charge as Chairman CDA.