Former chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), Maroof Afzal, on Monday took the charge of Secretary Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD). Meanwhile, Shahrukh Nusrat, took the charge of chairman CDA who had previously worked as acting chairman CDA for one month in the absence of Maroof Afzal.
After taking the charge of Chairman CDA, Nusrat extended the deputation period of Waseem Ahmed Khan, Chief Metropolitan planner, Lahore Development Authority for another period of two years who was placed at the disposal of Cabinet division and further posted in CDA against the post of Member Planning and Design on deputation basis. As per documents available with Business Recorder, Waseem's extension is requested till August 20, 2018.
According to the CDA sources, Afzal was fed up with the authority's internal politics and wanted to quit the office, the insiders say that it was the pressure of recent initiatives taken by CDA like sealing of Safa Gold Mall and BNG group cases as well as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proceedings which forced him to leave the charge as chairman CDA.
"Chairman Afzal is not enjoying any powers while being a chairman", said CDA official. People close to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who are serving in the CDA are empowered and all the major decisions are taken by them under the supervision of the PM and the CM, he said adding that the job of Maroof was nothing but to defend the wrongdoings of the CDA officials in front of National Assembly's standing committees, Senate committees and Public Accounts Committee. The official further said the Chairman was not allotted any home as Secretary Establishment Division Nadeem Hussain Asif was not ready to vacate the house meant for the CDA chairman.
In March 2016, Supreme Court Judge Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed remarked while hearing a case pertaining to commercial use of residential areas and roadblocks in the name of security that CDA chairman should leave his office if he can't perform his duties.