An ugly showdown and an unending blame-game, yet the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration insist that they each respect each other’s authority. But who is telling the truth?

On February 19, the ICT had taken over three blocks in sector H-9 after claiming it had received permission from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat because it had severe shortage of offices. The blocks were three of five in Sector H-9 that were under the use of the education ministry and had housed the Curriculum and Project Wings. (After devolution, CADD had moved there too because of severe shortage of office space.)

The very next day, on February 20, CADD broke down the locks and reoccupied the buildings, and claimed that the prime minister had categorically directed them to do so.

Since then each party is claiming that it had legal rights to the occupation and that they had moved on the directives of the prime minister.

“We have lodged our complaint against the ‘illegal act’ of CADD with the PM Secretariat,” a senior officer of the ICT said, adding “an inquiry to probe the incident has been ordered. The PM Secretariat has also asked for a report on the issue from the ICT.”

Meanwhile, Joint Secretary, CADD, Rafique Tahir told Dawn: “It was on the directive of the prime minister that CADD reoccupied the offices.”

Imtiaz Inayat Elahi, the CADD secretary, said: The ICT occupied the buildings illegally and the order to give the buildings to it was never issued from the PM Secretariat.” He added that CADD offices were working in the three buildings.

“The city administration misguided the PM Secretariat as the offices of CADD were working in the buildings,” both CADD officials said.

Mr Elahi is seconded by Rafique Tahir who said CADD had lodged a complaint with the prime minister shortly after the ICT occupied the building.

“The prime minister categorically asked us to reoccupy the building and remain in it, and run our offices from there,” he said.

Giving details of the CADD operations, he said the offices of a joint secretary, four deputy secretaries, four assistant secretaries and three 17 grade officers along with their staff were working in the Curriculum Wing besides eight review committees of curriculum, technical team and state management offices. “Moreover, all curricula of Pakistan are stored in the building,” Mr Tahir claimed.

However, the crux of the problem is not occupancy rights, rather the severe shortage of office space that both bodies have been experiencing in the last few years.

Five years ago the ICT Complex was planned and the government decided to release funds for it in five installments. However, only two installments were given to the city administration in this regard in which only one block could be constructed in G-11.

Due to unavailability of funds in the exchequer, the remaining installments were stopped.

Majority of the offices of the ICT were shifted to the complex in Sector G-11 from F-8 Markaz where they were operating out of rented blocks. However, departments, including Excise and Taxation, health, revenue, local government, Auqaf, labour and industries, agriculture along with the office of assistant commissioner are still in F-8 Markaz due to unavailability of offices in the complex.

An officer of ICT said the offices were set up in F-8 Markaz in rented buildings but rents had not been paid for the last few years as the Finance Division had not released the requisite funds.

“As a result, the owners of the buildings approached the court over non-payment of rent,” he added.

Providing more details, he said the PM Secretariat constituted a committee – the Accommodation Allocation Committee – to conduct a survey and identify the buildings lying vacant after devolving ministry to provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

“After the survey, the committee approved the allotment of Curriculum and Project Wings buildings at H-9 to ICT and in this regard wrote to the Estate Office on February 8. On February 20, separate letters were dispatched to the Estate Office and the chief commissioner Islamabad, and they were informed of the allocation,” he claimed.

The officer added that the ICT was also asked to surrender the plot allocated to it for construction of its buildings to Pak PWD in exchange for the accommodation at H-9.

Apparently, the letters were copied to Director General PWD Islamabad with the order to carry out the control and handing of possession of the curriculum and project wings buildings to ICT. The PWD was also directed to take over the possession of the plot allotted to ICT for construction of its complex.

However, Mr Tahir claims that CADD Secretary Imtiaz Inayat Elahi is also a member of the Accommodation Allocation Committee but that Mr Elahi was not aware of and was never invited to any of the meetings in which the status or possession of CADD buildings was decided.

Rafique Tahir further said the minutes of the meeting also appear to be unclear on what was decided. Point number 15 of the minutes says that the building be given to the National Library, but point number 16 states that possession be given to ICT, he added.

Hence, Mr Tahir told Dawn: “CADD has no dispute with the ICT and is enjoying good working relation but the latter occupied the building unethically and illegally.”

On the other hand, an ICT official, on condition of anonymity, said: “The CADD secretary is a 22 grade officer and we respect his seniority. Although the act committed by CADD was a criminal offence, any legal action against it would dishonour the bureaucracy and set example for juniors to initiate action against their seniors.”

And so for now the ICT has requested the concerned department of the government to either release funds for the construction of more blocks with estimated cost of over Rs150 million in the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration Complex at G-11 or arrange offices for it at any other available buildings which are lying vacant after the devolution of different ministries to provinces.