Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A powerful nexus between political appointees and their backers has turned the Capital Development Authority (CDA) into one of the most mismanaged public sector organisations.

The big league of the employees on its political influence and through bribe got the confirmation letters of some 13,000 employees, which were recruited temporally. Now days, CDA has turned into safe heavens for the corrupt and tedious officials regarding illegal appointments.

During the last five years, some 13,000 officials were inducted in CDA on temporary basis but later on they all were confirmed due to their political links and patronage of the corrupt political mafia in the department.

Most of the appointments were made during the tenure of CDA former chairman Farkhund Iqbal. Moreover, some 6,000 workers were given promotion on the basis of their political relations and after taking hefty bribe from them.

Some 350 employees were also promoted who did not fulfilled the criteria set by departmental promotion committee but the concerned officers took more money from them as a result of which they were confirmed.

Interestingly, the person who was appointed as junior auditor later promoted to admin officer and his cadre was also changed. Apart from that, a person having third division in graduation was made director while another director on deputation was appointed as municipal officer.

Earlier, the CDA chairman had issued directives to verify educational degrees of all CDA employees and formed a committee but it was stopped due to pressure from union officials and political influence.

The CDA chairman had claimed that they would hold on salaries of those employees whose degrees will not be verified. However, it was not happened. The matter of concern is that over 150 employees of the authority have charges of corruption and misuse of power but so far no action was taken against them.

The CDA member planning has recommended to take disciplinary action against two officers Najma Azhar and Safdar Shah but the file containing the orders was put in the cold storage and now both the officers are performing their duties without any fear.

The market of lawlessness in the entire department of CDA is really hot but the big bosses of CDA seem to be calm on the situation. The creation of special posts in Capital Development Authority (CDA) continues to accommodate their blue-eyed persons.

Daily Times has got a appointment letter from a source, which was issued under the signature of HRD-III Deputy Director Amir Shehzad for the post of bazaar coordination officer (BPS-16) in the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) to accommodate one of his friend. Kamran Raza who was working as supervisor but reappointed as inspector of the bazaar.

Sources revealed that now Kamran Raza is performing his duties as a supervisor but getting the salary of inspector (BPS-16). The letter stated that the order of his appointment as coordination officer of bazaar was approved by the CDA Chairmen Maroof Afzal. The letter also exposed that the officials tried to hide this appointment from DMA, as the copy of this letter was not submitted to the administration of this directorate in which the seat was created.

Moreover, Supreme Court is also hearing a case of illegal appointments, upgradations and promotions but the high-ups of CDA continue approving the illegal appointments on self created seats. Sources further revealed that dishonest officials allegedly misplaced the file of these appointments.

According to reports, Supreme Court of Pakistan is already hearing a case of illegal promotions, upgradation in the Capital Development Authority (CDA), which have been made in violation of the court’s judgments.

While taking up a suo motu case on Friday, a two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim summoned the CDA chairman to present a written reply on the alleged out-of-turn promotions in the civic agency. The bench remarked that if the CDA chairman did not submit the reply in person, the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) secretary would be asked to appear in the court in person. The CDA chairmen will submit the official reply in this regard in person to Supreme Court today.

The HRD III Deputy Director Amir Shehzad told Daily Times that the CDA chairman who is competent authority approved this appointment.

Human Resource Directorate (HRD) Director Manzoor Shah told our correspondent that the file of this appointment put on the directives of CDA Admin Member Amir Ali Ahmed adding that the CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal approved this appointment.

DMA Director Tahir Shehbaz Nadeem told Daily Times that we did not get any notification of this appointment officially by HRD. Kamran Raza is performing the duties of supervisor, he added.

Member Amir Ali Ahmed told that the seat was created by the recommendation of DMA but in this regard the letter was issued without the approval of the CDA chairman. The admin member also informed that the inquiry would be opened for this matter that how the order of this appointment was issued without the approval of the competent authority.