In hot water: Senate panel livid with CDA chief’s absence from meeting

Lawmakers raise matter with Senate chairman, leaders of house and opposition

ISLAMABAD: The absence of Islamabad’s top administrative officials from a meeting of a Senate panel drew the ire of parliamentarians on Wednesday who decided to raise the matter with the Senate chairman.

Some of the senators also raised questions about the legality of appointing a political person as the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) chairman.

The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat met with Senator Talha Mehmood in the chair at Cabinet Secretariat on Wednesday. The panel was due to discuss cases pending with the Federal Investigation Agency over the allotment of a plot measuring 10 kanals by CDA to Pakistan Foreign Office Women Association and violation of CDA by-laws.

However, with Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Sheikh Anser Aziz and additional secretary Capital Development and Administration Division (CADD) absent, Mehmood expressed his annoyance and postponed the meeting in protest.

Mehmood said such an incident had never occurred in the past 11 or ever since he started heading the committee.

He said the CDA had been ‘hijacked’ as its chairman had been informed about the meeting 12 days in advance. However, neither did he participate nor send relevant officials in his stead.

Mehmood also raised questions about Aziz’s appointment, noting that never had a politician been positioned as CDA’s chairman. The senator further slammed the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for not giving parliament its due importance.

Senator Kulsoom Perveen said the absence of the CDA chairman was an insult to the panel.

Senator Kamil Ali Agha said the CADD secretary had recently taken charge, but the additional secretary could have attended the meeting. He suggested that a privilege motion be moved against the CADD officials.

CDA Engineering Member Waseem Ahmed explained to the Standing Committee that the CDA chairman was on a visit to the new Islamabad Airport with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials and hence could not be part of the meeting.

However, this would not placate the senators who called for action. Senator Usman Saifullah Khan suggested that leaders of the house and opposition should be informed about the incident. Senator Rahila Magsi and Senator Saifullah Magsi backed him.

Senator Kamil Agha said that while the CDA chairman must be informed about the matter, he suggested a privilege motion must be moved against the CADD additional secretary. Senator Hidaytullah also seconded his proposal.

The committee unanimously decided to write letters to Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq and Leader of the Opposition Senator Aitezaz Ahsan.

Senator Mehmood postponed the meeting with the consent of other members in protest, after which members the panel stormed off to the chambers of Rabbani, Haq and Aitezaz to complain about the non-serious attitude of officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2016.