ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has stayed the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) decision to induct a revenue officer who is working in Punjab’s Pakpattan district.

During the tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the CDA had requisitioned the services of Pakpattan’s Naib Tehsildar Hafiz Mohammad Tahir Attar, however, owing to the protests by junior revenue officers, the then chairman of the civic body, Amir Ali Ahmed, did not approve his appointment on deputation.

As per CDA officials, Attar is famous for having links with spirituals families of Pakpattan and for this reason, his services were requisitioned without any cogent reason.

Moreover, the induction was made at a time when the civic agency was in the process of concluding the billion of rupees worth of cases concerning the built-up properties and land of upcoming sectors.

Approval of the naib tehsildar is a pre-requisition for processing the claims in such cases.

On the other hand, the incumbent chairman, Noorul Amin Mengal, allowed his appointment on deputation.

However, a naib tehsildar of CDA, Mirza Saeed Akhtar, and others challenged Attar’s appointment through his lawyer Kashif Ali Malik, following which IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq stayed the notification for the said appointment.

Through the instant petition, the petitioners have challenged the letter dated April 11, 2023, whereby the CDA has requisitioned the services of Attar as naib tehsildar in BPS-14.

Arguing the case, advocate Malik contended before the court that at present there were four posts of naib tehsildar - three of which are in BPS-14 and one in BPS-15.

It was further contended that all three posts of BPS-14 are filled/occupied and the one in BPS-15 can be filled only through promotion.

He argued that the petitioners were eligible for promotion to BPS-15, however, instead of promoting them, the services of Attar had been requisitioned on deputation.

Advocate Malik said Attar was working as naib tehsildar Pakpattan in Punjab and had no familiarity with the laws of CDA as the matters related to land and revenue of the civic body were entirely different than his present nature of job.

The IHC chief justice, after hearing the initial arguments, sought a report and para-wise comments from the CDA in a fortnight. He also issued a stay order against the appointment of Attar.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2023