ISLAMABAD: The post of the member planning and design at the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been lying vacant for over three months, causing inconvenience to the public.

The post of member planning fell vacant after the repatriation of Dr Khalid Hafiz to his parent department. Later, the acting charge was given to the member finance Mohammad Umair for three months.

However, sources said, the three-month period lapsed on July 12 and since then there is no one to sign any file, resultantly official business related to the member almost suspended.

The position of the member planning is considered as the backbone of the CDA as without it major policy level decisions cannot be taken. Officials said planning is a specialised field like engineering and the government should appoint any senior town planer on the post on a regular basis.

Appointment of member planning will be decided by govt, says official

Recently, a case was also filed in the Islamabad High Court against the posting of a non-town planner as the member town planning.

“Yes, without getting new orders of further 90 days, the officer in question can’t operate as member planning. Therefore, government should issue his fresh order until the appointment of the regular member. The regular member should be posted without any further delay,” said an official.

Planning wing deals with essential functions such as new planning, approval and regulation of housing societies, planning of new sectors and implementation of the master plan, water issues and building control.

This wing is supposed to play its role in convincing federal government for revision of the master plan, which is delayed for decades. Islamabad’s master plan, prepared in 1960, was supposed to be revised after every 20 years by experts; however, a proper revision has not been carried yet, causing planning issues in Islamabad.

On the other hand, successive government kept changing the master plan as per its own need, without an input of expert firms and so far 51 amendments have been made to the master plan of Islamabad.

Officials told Dawn that ideally an officer with planning background should be appointed on the post.

They said the city was in the grip of serious challenges such unauthorised construction.

However, an officer of CDA said that it is a prerogative of the federal government to appoint sn officer of any professional group as member planning.

“Large numbers of engineers have served as member planning CDA,” he said.

CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani, when asked about the suspension of the planning business related to the member office and the expiry of the three-month tenure of Mr Umair, said: "The case regarding appointment of Member Planning and Development is under process which would be decided by the government of Pakistan.”

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026