By Muhammad Asad Chaudhry
ISLAMABAD: An inquiry committee in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has found irregularities in over a hundred appointments of grade 16 to 18, but the management is reluctant to make names of the beneficiaries’ public.
Most of these illegal appointments were made under the pressure of politicians and civil servants attached with civic body and the same pressure is still continued.
When contacted Director Public Relation Mazhar Hussain declined to provide a complete list of people who got favour in the past and also pointed out by inquiry committee whereas CDA Member Administration Yasir Pirzada besides his commitment could not share the details.
A three-member committee headed by Hamayun Akhtar, Director Sector Development and Rana Tahir Hassan Khan, Deputy Director (Forest) and Abdul Manan Khan, Deputy Director, HRD-III as its members pointed out irregularities in appointments.
It found 110 appointments as illegal and pointed out lack of qualification in 15 cases, lack of course in 26 cases, lack of experience in 17 cases, favouritism in 45, tempering in 1 case and nepotism in 6 cases.
These appointments were made during the last tenure of Pakistan Peoples’ Party during 01.01.2011 to 31.12.2012 on daily wages and contract basis.
The committee was mandated to ascertain what kind of irregularities were committed by the officers/officials while engagement of daily wages and contract employees to fix responsibility on officers/officials involved in committing gross irregularities.
It was concluded by said committee that the daily wages appointments were made when even no ban on the recruitment was in place whereas in some cases applicants even did not give an application for job to civic body but they were granted the appointments.
“In some cases Departmental Recruitment Committee (DRC) conducted interview of single candidate and committee unanimously recommended for his / her employment without pointing out any discrepancy,” the report stated.
“Most of the appointments were made on the pressure of politicians at that time however the management used this pressure as an opportunity and adjusted their own people as well,” a source said.
“It was a nexus, which make it possible to get regularization of these tainted appointments by a cabinet committee and after that the same were also seconded by the Islamabad High Court.” he added. “The Chairman CDA of that time had opted to withdraw an intra court appeal in this case just because of political and internal pressure.”
Meanwhile, the inquiry committee recommended to take action against officers involved in these illegal appointment and also recommended to take verification of experience certificate submitted by these employees in addition to the scrutiny of their credentials.
The committee further recommended that the authority may refer the case to the legal advisor for taking appropriate measures by filing review appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).