Although the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has geared up efforts against non-conforming use of residential houses, it seems completely helpless in vacating the official residence for the civic body chairman, occupied by all-time powerful Secretary Establishment Division.
Secretary Establishment Division Nadeem Hussain Asif is not ready to vacate the sprawling bungalow built for CDA chairman, leaving Maroof Afzal with no option but to submit to the orders of the 'big boss' (secretary establishment), killing his time at a tiny guest house.
The powerful Secretary Establishment, who deals with the transfers and postings of 'Baboos', is reluctant to vacate the official residence of CDA chairman, as it is situated at one of the posh sectors - F-7 - of Islamabad. In another blatant violation of the government rules, the sources added, Maroof is also using another top government officer's residency in Lahore. "A government official cannot retain two houses at a time," a senior CDA told Business Recorder on condition of anonymity.
Asif managed to occupy the official residence of Chairman CDA in 2014 when he was chairman of the civic body. And when he was posted to the Establishment Division in 2015 as Secretary Establishment, they sources added, it became clear that now he would not vacate the sprawling government house. The sources said that call it respect to his senior or it is the all-time powerful slot of Secretary Establishment, his predecessor - Maroof Afzal - has been living at a government rest house located at Daman-e-Koh, after taking over as chairman CDA.
Sources in the CDA said living at the said rest house during the scorching summer can be pleasant but it is way too hard to live there in winter that too without any proper gas connections and constant load-shedding. They also said that in order to beat the freezing cold temperature, the CDA chairman has made some makeshift arrangements which include installation of LPG cylinders to keep the environment warm and to fire the stove.
The sources said that there is no possibility of retrieval of CDA chairman house until and unless Nadeem Secretary Establishment himself vacates the house. According to the sources, the CDA administration may consider accommodating their 'poor' chairman in a house likely to be vacated in the coming months after the retirement of Mustafain Kazmi, a member environment.
Kazmi has been living in those five houses, which are meant for the CDA members and located next to the residency of the CDA chairman. There are five houses which are meant for members CDA, one is with member environment and other is with member planning, while three houses have been forcibly retained by inspector general (IG) of the Islamabad Police Khalid Khattak. Another is with former principal secretary Ayub Kazi and one is occupied by Secretary Establishment Nadeem Hussain Asif.
Ayoub Kazi, who was a Principal Advisor during the tenures of Yousaf Raza Gillani and Pervaiz Ashraf, occupied the house three years back but due to good relations with the government, he is still enjoying the privileges, the source told. CDA spokesperson Ramzan Sajid could not be reached for comments.