Administrative control of civic agency shifted away from cabinet days before LG polls. PHOTO: mocad.gov.pk
The federal government on Wednesday shifted the Capital Development Authority (CDA) under the administrative control of the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD).
An autonomous body, the CDA previously worked under the Cabinet Division.
The move has widely been seen as “an effort to lure political support for the ruling PML-N in the upcoming local government elections in Islamabad”.
“The prime minister has been pleased to approve the transfer of administrative control of the CDA from the Cabinet Division to the CADD with immediate effect,” says a notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
In addition, Islamabad MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, a PML-N member, took charge as state minister for CADD on Monday.
Chaudhary has been spearheading the PML-N’s campaign for the November 30 elections and has had a few confrontations with other local party leaders over the award of party tickets.
PML-N Islamabad chapter office bearers even held a press conference where they accused Chaudhary and former MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan of awarding party tickets “to relatives, representatives of land grabbers, and criminals”.
Disgruntled local PML-N leaders have been backing their own favoured candidates as independents.
“PTI has a popular support in urban Islamabad, while divisions within the PML-N have created a stir in party ranks,” said a senior party leader privy to the developments.
While requesting anonymity, he said empowering Chaudhary was an effort to appease disgruntled party activists, workers and local leaders.
He said several party activists contesting independently would withdraw in favour of the party ticket holders in the next couple of days.
‘Administratively wise’
Islamabad’s governance system has always been criticised due to its multi-tier structure.
Prior to Wednesday’s decision, the federal capital had three executive streams with overlapping mandates. The CDA, under administrative control of the Cabinet Division and primarily responsible for urban Islamabad, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration under the control of the Interior Ministry and responsible for rural Islamabad, and CADD, which was formed to oversee devolved subjects of various ministries, departments and divisions after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
This divide has also generated disparities between rural and urban Islamabad in terms of development and provision of civic, health and education facilities.
“Administratively it’s a wise decision. But its announcement at a time when local government elections in Islamabad are round-the-corner gives the ruling party significant political mileage,” said a senior bureaucrat.
Interior left out
Until January 21, 2008, administrative control of the CDA rested with the Interior Ministry. It was later shifted to the Cabinet Division, making the CDA answerable only to the Prime Minister of Pakistan — who is the minister-in-charge of the cabinet division. After the PML-N came to power in 2013, the ministry made several attempts to retake administrative control of the CDA.
“In 2013, a summary was moved by the interior ministry seeking the PM’s approval for transferring control of the CDA to the ministry,” recalled a senior Cabinet Division officer, adding that the summary never got the premier’s nod.
He claimed a disinformation campaign was also run to get the media to report that the government had already decided to give the interior ministry control of the CDA.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2015.
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