Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The name of Capitan (R) Ijaz Ahmed is being whispered as the upcoming chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in the power corridors of the Federal Capital. The provincial government of Punjab has given a go ahead to the incumbent Member of Planning, CDA Waseem Ahmed Khan, to continue his current position for one more year.

After the transfer of the previous Chairman CDA Maroof Afzal, the civic body is being run through the Secretary, Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), Hassan Iqbal as the acting in charge.

The officers inside the Authority and sources in the Establishment Division have confirmed that several people are trying to get the post of the Chairman CDA. However, the name of Capitan (R) Ijaz Ahmed is being seriously considered by the Prime Minister’s House. Capitan (R) Ijaz Ahmed Jafar is currently appointed in the National Highways Authority (NHA) as Member Admn.

Although, the name of Ijaz Ahmed Jafar is being declared as the most favourite to head the civic body, but some sources were of the view that it was possible that at the eleventh hour the decision would be changed to negate the perception of any settlement on this high profile post as his name too surfaced too before time.

The role of the Minister of CADD, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, would be quite significant to get the position, as he is fully involved in the matters of the civic body and considered it his right to run the affairs of the CDA being the sole elected member of the ruling party from the federal capital.

On the other side, the Punjab Government has also given a go ahead to the Member Planning and Design of CDA, Waseem Ahmed Khan, for one more year to continue his service on deputation. The deputation period of Waseem Ahmed Khan expired last week and his case was pending before the provincial government for further extension.

Although, after the extension of the Member Planning, the prevailing adhocism in the civic body would be reduced, but it is a fact that it would not be fully overcome as two posts of Member Finance and Member Estate, are lying vacant for the last many months; whereas, the transfer of Member Admn, Amir Ahmed Ali and transfer of the Chairman CDA have further weakened the civic body’s board.

The CDA Board comprises of the Chairman, Member Finance & Accounts, Member Administration, Member Planning & Design, Member Engineering, Member Environment and Member Estate. The Commissioner Rawalpindi and the Chief Commissioner Islamabad are also ex-officio members of the CDA Board.

Currently, only three board members; Waseem Ahmed Khan, Sanaullah Aman and Shahid Sohail are working out of total seven members to run the day to day affairs of the Authority as well as to take policy level decisions, which is causing several management issues in the Authority.

A Deputy Director of CDA’s Human Resource Directorate, on the condition of anonymity, has pointed out a legal anomaly in the absence of the CDA’s permanent board members and briefed; “there is a need of at least four members to get approval of any agenda item in the CDA board meeting, but in the absence of three members anybody can easily take approval of any matter by managing only two members of the CDA.” The things are easily manageable to favour any blue-eyed person and to cover irregularities as currently two members have dual charges, which enables them to initiate a case in the capacity of a member and then approve the same case by using the power as another member, he added.