During the Public Accounts Committee’s proceedings held on Tuesday 31st July, it was revealed that CDA has broken all records of corruption during the last 4 and half years. The comparison of CDA’s performance during previous governments with that recorded in PPP’s current tenure showed that the authority has committed criminal negligence in various areas.
The proceeding was headed by the chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Nadeem Afzal Gondal. The audit brought forth the illegal acts carried out by the CDA, including frauds worth of millions of rupees and connection between the CDA’s staff and land mafia. The leading officials of the CDA are deprived of the vision to fix these issues.
Shahidullah Baig, the Additional Secretary of the cabinet division representing CDA as principal accounting officer, told the committee that CDA is experiencing many grave issues that would require time. He further added that the authority is facing above 5,000 cases pending in many courts. While commenting on these cases, Farkhand Iqbal, chairman CDA, said that he is all for having a new legal team for CDA as these cases are affecting authority’s performance.
PAC was informed by CDA that due to the poor management on part of the previous officers heading the authority, residential building Pak Tower was erected in F-10 Markaz without being cleared by the CDA.
The audit officials informed PAC that CDA leased 20 acres of land to nurseries and the Gun Club illegally. The Gun Club has occupied the land for almost 10 years and owes CDA an amount of Rs 1 billion. Audit officials accused CDA of leaving such a serious matter unattended. When PAC asked CDA for explanation, CDA representatives asked for time for submitting a detailed report.
Khalid Mirza, CDA’s Member Estate, failed to answer many queries made by PAC. Because of this, chairman PAC Nadeem Afzal Gondal ordered him to leave the room and commented that he doesn’t care if any of the CDA representatives have connection in the power corridors because while being in the meeting they are bound to answer the committee’s questions.
Gondal also criticised the CDA’s governing officials for trying to delay the PAC’s proceedings against CDA. Public Accounts Committee later decided to forward CDA’s case to NAB for further and thorough investigation.
Khwaja Asif of PML-N believes that the CDA has close ties with land mafia. While Ayaz Sadiq from the same party is of the view that despite repeated orders of PAC to retrieve land from the Gun Club, CDA did not take the required action showing its lack of interest in recovering the land. Sadiq believes that CDA’s lack of efficiency has snatched away the long time credibility it enjoyed among public.
Shehnaz Sheikh from PML-Q said that she was shocked to come to know the number of pending cases that CDA failed to resolved. She believes that CDA can become a self-sufficient authority with little good governance and should not to ask for money but focus on its performance instead.
