Contracts, appointments: CDA faces more trouble, more questions

Former law minister Babar Awan has challenged the civic body’s conduct.

ISLAMABAD:

Already under the spotlight for alleged mismanagement and irregularities, more questions have been raised about the performance of city managers.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman to furnish complete records of all appointments and projects launched during his tenure.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui issued this order on a petition filed by former law minister Babar Awan challenging the appointments, allotments and sale of residential and commercial plots to influential people by the civic body.

In his petition filed on June 26, Awan also requested the court to seek details of all plots, sites, shops, kiosks and restaurants auctioned or allotted by the civic agency.

Justice Siddiqui also asked CDA Chairman Farkhand Iqbal to produce details of projects that he launched with Faisal Sakhi Butt, the former chairman of the disbanded Prime Minister’s Task Force on Islamabad.

During the proceedings, CDA chief maintained a smirking expression on his face, much to the annoyance of Justice Siddiqui — who sent a top CDA official to jail during the last hearing for staring at him in an attempt to intimidate the judge. The justice took notice of the CDA chairman and said: “This is a serious issue and you are smiling as if you were at a funfair. You are in a courtroom, respect the court.”

The judge said that if the civic agency boss had assumed he could malign the court, he was mistaken. “We are here for rule of law. I know how corrupt the CDA is, and I will not spare anyone,” he remarked.

CDA counsel Athar Minallah, told the court he always believed in the rule of law and had struggle for the issue, saying all the records would be provided to the court.

Earlier, some CDA union activists chanted slogans in favour of the CDA chief. However, Justice Siddiqui took notice of it and asked them to go back to their offices and banned their entry into the court premises.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2012.