CDA chairman sought to explain ECP order non-implementation

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked CDA Chairman retired Capt. Anwarul Haq for an explanation after noticing that its order to remove board members of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) who have been working on deputation has not been carried out.

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The ECP wrote a reminder to the CDA chairman on September 12 requesting him “to state the reasons, if any, for the non-issuance of the orders [for the removal of the board members] and immediately take up the issue with the interior secretary,” according to an official of the ECP who spoke with Dawn.

The CDA’s inquiry report and various media stories revealing the huge land scam at the CDA’s Land Directorate prompted the ECP to issue the orders for the removal of the board members of the CDA on September 5.

According to the commission’s review of the matter, the CDA/ICT Administration is crucial to the conduct of free and fair elections.

The ECP letter stated that it had been hoped that the officers of the CDA Cadre in such senior positions may be moved, and that “it has been desired as the general elections are at hand, the CDA members may be transferred to the Establishment Division, to the extent that those officers who are on deputation.” To ensure the conduct of free and fair elections, officers of good standing and impartial disposition should be posted in both situations.

According to reports, the government transferred the estate of the member to his parent department after receiving the ECP letter, but the three other members on deputation had not yet been relocated.

A summary was transferred to the interior ministry on Wednesday by the CDA chairman in accordance with the ECP’s letter, according to another source who spoke to Dawn, but the report’s specifics were kept secret.

“It’s unclear from the summary if the chairman asked the interior ministry to bring the issue up with the federal government in order to have the current members removed, or if he suggested something else.

However, let me state with authority that a summary has been moved, according to a different CDA source.

In the meantime, the federal cabinet on Wednesday authorised the nomination of a new CDA member through a circulation.

Members of the cabinet gave their approval to Tariq Salam, a grade 19 officer with the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS), for the position.