ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has concluded the case involving the repatriation of Capital Development Authority (CDA) board members.
According to sources, two out of three members have been returned to their parent departments in compliance with the ECP’s directives.
During a hearing on Tuesday, the ECP was informed that the remaining member, who leads the administration wing at the civic agency, will also be repatriated shortly. Orders for the removal of members from the planning and finance wings have already been issued, and the administration member’s removal is currently in progress, ultimately leading to the closure of the case.
Moreover, the federal government officials confirmed that the orders for two members have been issued, with directives for the removal of the remaining official expected to be issued soon.
As the former member, Syed Munawar Shah’s post of member engineering remains vacant following his retirement, the posts of members in the planning and finance wings have also become vacant.
Besides, the post of the member administration is expected to become vacant soon.
A senior officer stated that the government is actively working on assembling a panel of three candidates for each of these positions, and new appointments will follow.
In a significant move, the ECP’s September 5 directive required the CDA chairman to transfer all members of the CDA board who were serving on deputation, to ensure fair play in the upcoming general elections.
While the interim government promptly transferred one member (member estate), the transfers of other officials, including member planning, member administration, member finance, and member information technology, were delayed.
On September 12, the ECP issued a show-cause notice to the CDA after noting the delay, inquiring about the reasons for the non-transfers.
However, despite reminders from the ECP, the Interior Ministry and the Establishment Division did not take immediate action. Finally, a three-day ultimatum was issued by the ECP last Monday.
The ECP’s directive stemmed from the critical role played by the CDA/ICT Administration in ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.
It also emphasized the need for the transfer of CDA members to the Establishment Division, especially those officers on deputation, and the reshuffling of officers in senior positions to promote impartiality and the integrity of the electoral process.
Source: DAWN
