ISLAMABAD: The newly-appointed Islamabad chief commissioner, retired Lt Sohail Ashraf, will face several challenges in handling the affairs of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) after assuming charge.

With the removal of Mohammad Ali Randhawa, the seat of CDA chairman automatically fell vacant, as he was holding the additional charge of this post.

Being commissioner, Mr Randhawa was an ex-officio member of the CDA board and, as a board member, was given the additional charge of CDA chairman. The new commissioner, with his posting, has become a member of the CDA board and, sources said, his orders to take charge of the CDA will be issued soon.

Meanwhile, sources said the government is also planning to appoint new board members. “Except one, all board members are likely to be changed,” said a senior bureaucrat privy to the development.

Incoming chairman expected to tackle transparency, stalled sectors and civic issues in Islamabad

Mr Randhawa was appointed in April-May 2024 and, during his tenure at the CDA, he completed several mega development projects. His tenure also faced several controversies, including the tree-cutting issue, shifting of the Jinnah Medical Complex site and the removal of around 200 officers/officials, who were reported to the Human Resource Department on the pretext of “accountability”.

Sources said several officers of good repute without any pending inquiries were also removed, while some officials of questionable reputations are still enjoying postings.

“Despite these controversies, he completed a record number of development projects in Islamabad,” said a CDA official. Sources said he is likely to be given another key posting in Islamabad.

Challenges for new chairman

The new chairman will have to focus on the implementation of rules and regulations, particularly while dealing with development projects. “Transparency and healthy competition should be ensured in all development projects in the greater interest of the CDA and residents of Islamabad,” an official said.

The new CDA chief will also have to pay special attention to the completion of development work in sectors I-12, I-15, E-12 and C-15, as well as take steps to resolve water issues.

He will also need to address issues of land affected persons — whose land was acquired by the CDA and who are entitled to compensation in the form of cash and plots — to enable possession of stalled sectors, including D-13, E-13, F-13, C-13 and C-15.

There is also a need to focus on civic issues such as rusting water pipelines and exploring new water resources. The population of Islamabad has increased manifold over the past three decades, but no new water source has been explored. As a result, residents have been facing water shortages. Currently, the CDA is supplying around 70 million gallons daily against a demand of 220mgd.

“The new chief will have to work on the construction of new dams to resolve the water shortage issue,” an official said.

The new CDA chief will also need to take steps to amend the city’s master plan, which was prepared in 1960 and was supposed to be updated every 20 years in line with evolving needs. However, no proper amendment was made, resulting in planning issues and unchecked growth of unauthorised construction.

Although no comprehensive revision was conducted, 51 selective changes were made to the city’s blueprint by successive governments, with three amendments introduced by the incumbent government. There is also a need to regulate or crack down on unauthorised housing societies in Islamabad.

“During the last two years, massive road projects were executed; now the focus should shift to sustainable and long-term schemes, mainly water,” an official said.

He added that the outsourcing of cleanliness in Islamabad has faced delays and should be resolved soon, as since January 2024, there have been no proper cleanliness arrangements in rural areas. The city also lacks a landfill site.

Similarly, officials said the CDA has been relying on its land bank to run its affairs and there is a need for a sustainable model. “How long will we continue selling plots for development projects and paying salaries? There should be a new model to end dependency on the sale of plots,” an official said.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2026