The federal government appointed Director General Immigration and Passports Usman Bajwa as chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday. The Cabinet Division approved the summary for Bajwa's appointment forwarded by the Establishment Division, after meeting the legal requirements. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PM's Principal Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad and Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had been pondering upon the matter since the IHC's deadline given on December 29.
The IHC had given the federal government the deadline to appoint chairman CDA while removing Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz from the post of CDA chairman, declaring both his notifications as an ex officio member and CDA chief illegal. The post had been vacant since the IHC removed Aziz, stating that his appointment falls under 'conflict of interest' as he is the owner of a construction company which has a history of working with the authority.
The court had ruled that his appointment violated section 6 read with section 8 of the CDA ordinance and law enunciated by the Supreme Court (SC) and directed the federal government to initiate a selection process to zero on an eligible person for a fixed term as specified under section 6(3) of the ordinance and his appointment as the chairman for a fixed five-year period. The newly appointed CDA chief Usman Bajwa is a grade-20 officer and belongs to the 20th common of PAS.