ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Thursday authorised Chief Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmad to also look after the affairs of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The cabinet took the decision after the CDA chairman Afzal Latif decided to go on a four-month ex-Pakistan leave which was granted by the government.

In his absence, the government had no other option but to appoint one of the CDA board members as the acting chairman.

Chairman Afzal Latif goes on four-month ex-Pakistan leave

The commissioner is the ex-officio member of the CDA board.

According to the Islamabad High Court (IHC)’s 2018 ruling and the subsequent decision of the cabinet last month, the new CDA chairman would be a non-civil servant and a professional to be selected through a competitive process.

“Today the cabinet decided that the chief commissioner will look after the affairs of CDA as well. In the meanwhile, a professional chairman will be appointed,” Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told mediapersons after a cabinet meeting.

The CDA is currently facing several challenges and for the last several months it has not carried out any development work except conducting a few anti-encroachment operations.

Besides, no step has been taken to resolve the longstanding issue of stalled sectors.

However, Mr Latif during his four-month stint defended CDA’s interest in various court cases and opposed the restoration of Grand Hyatt plot.

In several other plot cases, he also defended the civic agency’s point of view, particularly in the agro-farm cases.

He faced pressure when the CDA launched an anti-encroachment operation to retrieve state land from a property tycoon. However, the operation could not be completed because of various reasons.

CDA officials believed that with the appointment of the commissioner as the acting head of the civic agency, the capital administration, police and the CDA would be working under the administrative control of one man.

Speaking to Dawn, an official of the CDA said it was high time to resolve the longstanding issue of getting possession of E-12 from the locals.

The owners have been waiting for getting possession of their plots for over three decades.

With a little push, the development work in at least two sectors - I-12 and 1-15 - where the CDA has possession of land, could be started to mitigate the shortage of housing units in the capital city, he said.

Mr Ahmad, a grade-20 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, has experience to fix challenges being faced by the CDA as a few years ago he served as member administration, CDA

“Apparently, the CDA has no excuse now. It has to work for betterment of the citizens and has to take encroachment drive with full force as the police, ICT and civic agency are on one page,” said the official, who requested not to be named.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2019