ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has observed that the former member estate of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had tampered with the record related to allotment of multi-million rupees worth of plots in D-13.

Last year, the civic agency had dismissed a deputy director land, who was in BS-18, and demoted an assistant director and office assistant in the case.

The sacked officer challenged his dismissal through advocate Kashif Ali Malik, which was set aside by Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani of the IHC.

Reinstates sacked deputy director

In October 2019, the scandal involving allotment of 59 plots in D-13 surfaced after which CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed suspended the then director land, Fariduddin.

As per CDA’s inquiry report, the director and his staffers, despite orders from the then member estate, allotted plots without balloting.

On the basis of the inquiry report, the CDA sacked deputy director land Taimoor Ahmed and demoted an assistant director and an assistant.

As per the documents submitted before the IHC, the CDA acquired 432 kanals in 2008 for development of Sector D-13.

In 2015, the civic body approved the case of an affected person, Nadeem Bashir, for allotment of plots in lieu of the acquired land.

In this regard, 57 allotment letters were issued whereas 51 plots were earmarked for provisional allotment.

However, the matter was kept pending till 2019 when it was finally processed and approved by the then, Member Estate Khushal Khan, and director land.

The then member estate endorsed the proposal and returned the file.

However, the file was requisitioned again by Mr Khan and added another para through cutting, saying “all plots to be allotted through transparent balloting” after the allotment letters were issued.

Justice Qambrani termed this “foul play” on the part of member estate which according to the judge was “really shocking”.

The court observed that “prima facie, there was no evidence available on record to establish the charge of corruption” against the sacked deputy director.

The allotment letters containing plot numbers were issued to the genuine affected persons and the same were also withdrawn and cancelled by the CDA the very next day.

Justice Qambrani observed that this was the reason that the inquiry officer recommended minor penalty for the deputy director, however, the authorised officer who was Member Estate Khushal Khan imposed a major penalty on the accused officer and recommended termination of his service.

Since the court has noted that Member Estate Khan himself tampered with the record, therefore, it set aside dismissal of deputy director Taimoor and reinstated him.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2021