The Federal Government has notified the appointment of four new board members of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The board members were appointed to the vacant positions of Member Finance, Member Administration, Member Environment, and Member Planning.
Three of these posts fell vacant after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) directed the civic authority to remove the previously posted officers to ensure transparency in the upcoming elections.
Talat Mehmood Gondal has been appointed as the new Member Administration. He was previously serving as Trade and Investment Counsellor in Pakistan’s Consulate General in New York. Furthermore, he also served as the Deputy Commissioner of Rawalpindi.
Saba Asim, a grade-19 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, has been notified as the new Member Environment. It should be noted that this will be her third assignment in the capital authority. Previously, she worked as Director of Estate Management and Director of Human Resources.
The charge of Member Finance has been handed over to Tahir Naeem Akhtar, a grade 19 officer of the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service. In the past, he has also served in several important positions in the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation and the National Disaster Management Authority on deputation.
Dr. Asghar Naeem, a grade 20 officer, has been chosen as the new Member Planning of the CDA. Just like the other three officials, Dr. Asghar also served in important posts in the past, such as the Chief Planner of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority.
Last month, Tariq Salamat was appointed as the Member Estate. On the other hand, Member Planning and Design, Waseem Bajwa, has challenged his transfer to the Islamabad High Court.
Why known Civilians are not allowed to join Board members? It is a God given right of Army officers and CSS officers to become board members of CDA and other development authorities?