ISLAMABAD: Member Planning CDA Asad Mehboob Kayani was removed from the post only to be reinstated within 24 hours on Tuesday.

In another development, the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) had to take back its recommendation for suspending Member Administration Yasir Pirzada. CADD took action against the two members for not properly responding to questions raised by members of the National Assembly.

In the first notification issued on Monday evening, the services of member planning, who also held the post of member engineering, were put under suspension. The notification, however, did not mention any reason for the suspension of Mr Kayani.

“With the approval of competent authority, Secretary CADD Member Engineering Asad Kayani is hereby placed under suspension under CDA Service Regulations 1992 with immediate effect and until further orders.”

In the second notification, CADD addressed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the parent department of Member Administration Yasir Pirzada, recommending suspension of Mr Pirzada.

Member planning removed and reinstated within 24 hours, notification seeking suspension of member administration also taken back

“The speaker National Assembly has taken serious notice of the lapses in attending to the parliamentary business by the CDA. He [speaker] pointed out that CDA had failed to properly respond to NA business (starred/un-starred questions, resolutions, motions) and brief for standing committees,” read the notification. It said since coordination for the National Assembly business was the prime responsibility of the member administration, a grade 20 officer of Inland Revenue Department, FBR, his services may immediately be placed under suspension.

However, sources said when the two members pleaded their cases before Secretary CADD Nargis Ghaloo on Tuesday, she decided to withdraw both the notifications. Subsequently, revised notifications were issued.

The sources said the speaker National Assembly a few days ago had expressed his displeasure after the CDA could not submit replies to different questions and said why action should not be taken against the secretary CADD.

As a result, the secretary CADD took action against the two CDA members.

The secretary could not be contacted for comments but CADD spokesman Attiqur Rehman confirmed to Dawn that both the notifications had been withdrawn. “At the moment, I can’t comment on the reasons behind the withdrawal of notifications,” he said.

In a related development, the administration wing of the CDA ordered an inquiry against Director Coordination Roshan Khan for his failure in responding to the assembly business on time.

“There was no delay on part of the CDA wings concerned as it had submitted replies to the assembly’s questions on time but the coordination wing kept sitting on the questions for four days. We have ordered an inquiry into the matter,” Member Administration Yasir Pirzada told Dawn.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2017