ISLAMABAD, March 16: Before departure, the PPP government sent packing the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Saturday. Syed Tahir Shahbaz was the fifth head of the civic agency removed by the PPP government.

“There is no notification, but I have learnt from the media that I have been posted out as the additional secretary production,” said Mr Shahbaz while talking to Dawn.

According to an official, Tariq Pirzada, the chief commissioner of Islamabad, has been appointed as the CDA chairman.

“Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had called Mr Pirzada the other day for posting him as the chairman of the CDA,” claimed an official in the Prime Minister House.

After removal of Imtiaz Inayat Elahi as the CDA chairman in December 2011, Engr Farkhand Iqbal was posted as the head of the civic agency by then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

However, on October 1, 2012, Prime Minister Ashraf notified Javed Iqbal Awan as the new chairman of the CDA. But within 24 hours, Mr Awan was replaced by Syed Tahir Shahbaz.

“Mr Shahbaz was probing into a number of cases relating to the illegal allotment of plots in Blue Area and plots to CDA officers and deputation officials in a shady manner which also involved a close confidante of Prime Minister Ashraf. He also sealed a number of agro-farms and commercial houses located in the residential areas on the directions of the Supreme Court.

Besides, he refused to bow to the pressure of a property tycoon on different issues,” said an official of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

“Mr Shahbaz was also set to launch an investigation into the changes made in the Rs1.2 billion Margalla Avenue project. This route was to terminate at Nicholson Monument but was closed at the gate of a private housing society in violation of Islamabad’s master plan,” said the official.

He added that because of the financial crunch Mr Shahbaz had made it clear to both the prime minister and president houses that any new hiring in the CDA would add to its troubles. Besides, any new project will completely limit the development approach of the authority.

CDA plots scam inquiry report

The FIA official said copies of the inquiry report relating to the alleged involvement of CDA officials and a family friend of Prime Minister Ashraf in the allotment of plots to deputationist and CDA officials had already been received by several federal agencies, including the National Accountability Bureau and the FIA which would be taken up by May 2013.

It is pertinent to mention that Dr Kazim Niaz, member environment of the CDA, who had conducted the probe in the plot scam, was also removed from the post on Saturday and transferred to Balochistan.

“I have been transferred by the federal government to Balcohistan and have no issue in performing my duty with honesty and dignity for which I was given training at the civil services academy when I joined the federal government,” said Dr Niaz while talking to Dawn.

However, the inquiry report could not be made public since Prime Minister Secretariat pressured the Capital Development Authority management.

“The inquiry of Dr Niaz was to be presented to the Islamabad High Court but it was not submitted to the court of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddqui for unknown reasons by the outgoing CDA management,” said one official in the CDA legal wing.