ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority has initiated a process of transfers and postings aimed at ending the widespread practice of officials holding multiple charges, with 19 officers posted on Tuesday.

Sources said the move was taken on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

According to sources, during a recent meeting at CDA headquarters, the interior minister directed the authority’s management to post officers who had been awaiting assignments for several months. He also instructed officials to take concrete steps to eliminate the practice of assigning multiple charges to a single officer.

Following these directives, the CDA issued two transfer and posting orders on Tuesday for 21 officers whose charges had been withdrawn last year and reported to the Human Resource Directorate. Out of these, 19 officers have been assigned new positions.

Step taken on directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi

According to the notification, BS-19 officer Wasim Sabir has been appointed Director General (Electric and Mechanical), while Habibullah Sheikh has been posted as Director General Infrastructure. Sardar Khan Zimri has been appointed Director General Islamabad Water, Rana Tariq as Deputy Director General Metro Bus, Dr Omar Sagher as Director Technical, and Irfan Azeem Khan as Deputy Director General Environment.

Sources said more officers and lower-grade employees with good service records, who are currently attached to the Human Resource Directorate, are expected to be posted in the coming days.

Recently, the Prime Minister’s Office and the interior minister directed the CDA to end the practice of officials holding multiple charges. Sources said newly -appointed CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf was tasked with taking steps to curb ad hocism within the authority.

The prime minister had expressed concern as how the CDA was functioning with several officers holding multiple additional charges, including one official reportedly assigned up to seven roles.

Sources within the CDA said some officials were holding multiple charges particularly following the removal of over 200 officers and officials last year, including some with good reputations. The removals were carried out in the name of improving efficiency by sidelining officers allegedly of questionable repute. However, some officials said officials with clean records were also affected despite no pending inquiries against them.

“It appears that while compiling lists of officials with bad reputations, some personal scores may have been settled, leading to the removal of competent officers as well,” a CDA official said.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026