The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) is likely to fall into a legal crisis after surfacing of an illegality in the notification issued by Director General (DG) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen for appointment of the managing director of the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA), Pakistan Today has learnt.
The notification was totally in violation of the Punjab government’s orders and LDA’s own Act 1975. But the LDA DG binned government orders and the LDA Act as well implying the sense that he was not bound to abide by the rules but the law was made to comply with his orders. According to notification issued on October 3, Farqalit Mir, BPS-19, was appointed as LDA hidden property director. Simultaneously, he was given the charge of the TEPA MD in violation of the LDA Act and Punjab government’s orders.
Before his appointment, Hafiz Ahsanul Haq who was the LDA headquarters additional DG was working as ex-officio TEPA MD as per prescribed rules. Rules revealed that the WASA managing director and other top officials of agencies will be appointed by the government on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the government. He will hold office for a period of three years and be responsible for its administration in accordance with such powers as shall be prescribed and remain in the office for three months thereafter or until a successor in that office is appointed, whichever is earlier.
The Punjab government also clarified in a summary in 1997 that the LDA additional director general will also act as ex-officio TEPA MD. A summary was sent on January 12 and got approved on January 22, 1997. LDA DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen was contacted for his comments but he preferred to remain non-responsive.