ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday reserved the order on the petition seeking restriction on the secretary cabinet for entering the premises of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and from interfering into its affairs.

IHC Justice, Mohammad Azim Khan Afridi took up the petition.

The petitioner, advocate Tariq Asad alleged that the secretary cabinet, Nargis Sethi is an obstacle in the development of federal capital Islamabad.

He adopted before the court that despite financial crunch and constraints, CDA chairman, Farkhand Iqbal initiated development programmes like extension of Margalla Road, construction of 11th avenue, establishment of citizen club in F-9 Park, Bus Rapid Transportation System, planning of project to divert 200 million gallons of water per day with the assistance of Chinese government from Tarbela to Islamabad and many others.

Secretary Cabinet is the only obstruction in the way of these development projects as she without any lawful authority interferes in CDA affairs and hence she makes the power and functions of the chairman and the CDA board redundant.

He pointed out that summaries regarding seeking approvals of various development projects are pending with the secretary cabinet and she deliberately or inefficiently delayed the approvals.

The petition said that in addition to the delay in the development projects, the secretary cabinet also intervenes into the matters regarding posting and transfers of CDA employees, adding that matters regarding the repatriation of senior officials on the basis of poor performance also lingered on because of Ms Sethi.

According to the petitioner, CDA should be governed by its ordinance, which empowers the chairman and board members for making crucial decisions and the interference of Ms Sethi into its matter is against article 4 of the constitution.

The petitioner requested the court to restrain Ms Sethi from presiding over CDA meetings, issuing orders to CDA officers and interfering into affairs of the civic body. The petition further prayed for banning entrance of secretary cabinet in the CDA and for taking disciplinary action against her.