CDA member’s plea: SC gives IHC a month’s time to dispose of case

Former planning chief has challenged his removal.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court has given the capital’s high court one month to decide on a petition filed by a former CDA board member challenging his transfer.

While disposing of a petition filed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), a two-member bench of the apex court on Monday directed the Islamabad High Court to decide on the petition filed by former CDA Planning and Design member Mustafain Kazmi.

The bench, comprising justices Tassaduq Hussain Jilani and Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, directed newly-appointed CDA Planning Member Waseem Ahmad Khan to continue working until a decision on Kazmi’s petition was issued.

During the hearing, the qualifications of Kazmi and the required qualifications of persons appointed against technical posts such as Planning and Design member were also raised.

On August 25, the IHC suspended the appointment of Khan --- formerly chief metropolitan planner for the Lahore Development Authority --- as member planning of the CDA, after Kazmi challenged the appointment.

After the ruling by IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi, former member planning Mustafain Kazmi, who was made officer on special duty (OSD), was restored to the post.

However, the CDA later challenged the IHC decision in the Supreme Court on the pretext that the IHC had no jurisdiction to interfere in the transfer orders of a civil servant.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2013.