ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) removed the capital’s mayor, Sheikh Ansar Aziz, as the head and executive member of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday.
Justice Athar Minallah made the decision after concluding several petitions filed by citizens of the federal capital against the mayor’s appointment as the executive member and then chairman of the CDA.
The IHC, in its judgment, suspended the notification of Aziz’s appointment as the executive member of the authority, following which he was given the ‘part-time’ charge of the CDA supremo.
Justice Minallah directed the federal government to immediately initiate the process for selecting an eligible person to be appointed the CDA board member according to the CDA Ordinance 1960.
“The Federal Government is further directed to complete the selection process and appoint a Chairman for a fixed period of five years from amongst the Members who have been appointed in accordance with the principles and law highlighted in this judgment,” the judgment read.
The court also gave the government forty five days, from today, to complete the process.
The judgment concluded that it is the duty of the federal government, the Parliament and every other organ of the state to ensure that the people of Pakistan have a capital, which is an example of rule of law and a reflection of the vision of the founding planners. The first step in this direction is to ensure the autonomy of the CDA and to appoint the “best of the best” on merit and according to the intent of the legislature as members of the board.
The petitions, filed in September 2016, contended that the CDA chairman should be an independent, impartial, professional and a-political person.
Aziz was elected the mayor of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation in February 2016.
