The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has turned a deaf ear to the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team’s (CMIT) objection to Shahid Fareed’s appointment as LDA director administration. Fareed, a BS-17 section officer, was appointed to the BS-19 post in sheer violation of merit and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s guiding principles of good governance. The CMIT had objected to Fareed’s appointment in a 19-point inquiry report submitted to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. “Shahid Fareed, who is son-in-law of Punjab Law Secretary Abu-ul-Hassan Najmi, has been working in LDA on secondment over the last two years.
His appointment was a mockery of merit, but neither former LDA DG Umer Rasool nor the incumbent LDA DG, Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, showed the courage to follow the CMIT’s observations, ,” a senior LDA official told Pakistan Today. “Although instructions from the Punjab government provide for appointment of a junior officer to a senior post, such arrangement may be for a limited period. It is required that the course provided in the rules for filling a senior post should be followed. Such provision is definitely instrumental in favouring a “blue eyed boy,” observations said. The CMIT observed that it was highly objectionable that an officer working in BPS-17 was appointed to a BPS-19 post despite the fact that he would have waited 10 to15 years for promotion to BS-19.
“Such arrangement certainly creates jealousy for senior officers who are already working in BPS-19,” The CMIT observed that appointment of a particular officer time and again to an autonomous body on secondment created doubt. “Though in the light of the CMIT’s observations, Former DG LDA Umer Rasool and his blue-eyed Suqrat Aman, who was LDA director headquarter, had been removed, Fareed continues to hold office”, the official said. The CMIT’s 19-point inquiry report, made available to Pakistan Today, seeks an explanation for Fareed’s appointment to a BS-19 post. It also seeks details of expenditure incurred on renovation of his office festooned with an LCD.”
The inquiry report seeks details of road and building works awarded during 2009-10 and expenditure incurred on establishment of a one window cell, its date of functioning and date of inviting tenders for the work executed. It also seeks details of 10-marla commercial plots allotted to Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Rana Mashmood Ahmad in Gulshan-e-Ravi Scheme. The inquiry report asks LDA for details of expenditure incurred on construction of a public parking lot in its Johar Town office. It seeks information about expenditure incurred on revocation of DG’s office in the basement and on procurement of an electronic attendance system for LDA employees.
The report also asks for details of recruitment made for assistant director and computer officers against original as well as newly-created posts. The report seeks details of expenditure incurred on the purchase of computers and allied items form Computers ICS, Hafeez Center, Gulberg Lahore. The inquiry report also asks for details of expenditure incurred on a jogging track and part being constructed in front of the residence of Director Headquarter Suqrat Aman Rana at 715-Block, F-I, and details of expenditure incurred on the LDA office in Johar Town. It further seeks explanations for an LDA vehicle for Suqrat Aman Rana, terms of Additional Director General Mansoor Qadir’s contract, Shahid Fareed’s cousin’s appointment as LOS manager for Rs 50,000 per month, Naveed Bukhari’s reinstatement after 17 years, Deputy Director Madlha Shah’s brother’s appointment as legal adviser and Mr. Jaffery’s appointment as EME, LDA.
On being contacted, Fareed told Pakistan Today that said that his posting was in line with the rules and under the Civil Servant Act. “I am not an exception. Some 50 officials have been appointed to various government departments in similar fashion,” he added. Fareed maintained that he was being criticized because of his action against the land mafia. “Recently I sacked ringleaders of the land mafia from LDA and have cases registered against five persons involved in selling fake files in Gujjar Pura,” he added.
