ISLAMABAD: Members of a parliamentary committee on Tuesday called to bring the Gun and Country Club and Islamabad Club under the administrative control of a board of governors to ensure transparency in the administration, management, finance and decision-making of both clubs.

The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Talha Mahmood at Parliament House, held detailed discussions on two bills moved separately by Senator Azam Khan Swati.

When discussing the bill regarding the Gun and Country Club, almost all members of the committee supported the idea of a board of governors.

Senators flay CDA for bad performance; criticize decision to link utility connections to NOC for construction

Gun Club Administrator Daniyal Aziz raised objections on the bill and sought time from the committee in order to get input from the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and the Presidency before submitting his reply.

He told the committee that the club was formed through a government resolution, that the president of Pakistan was the patron of the club and that a managing committee runs its affairs.

He said he has objections regarding some clauses of the bill and that “if the committee will pass it in the current form, then after the Senate elections in March, we will repeal it”.

He said his input should be made part of the bill to ensure it is approved by both houses of Parliament.

The committee gave him till the next meeting to submit his input.

Making his case, the mover of the bill said the club, which was set up on state land, has huge resources and responsibilities and that transparency in administration, management, finances and decision making is therefore needed.

The bill proposes that the club administrator be appointed by the federal government on the recommendation of the board of governors and that the administrator will also be the chairman of the board. Members of the board will include secretaries of the ministries of interior, foreign affairs and inter provincial coordination, two members are to be appointed by the president, two MNA’s are to be nominated by the National Assembly speaker and two senators are to be appointed by the Senate chairman.

Committee members asked the mover to amend the bill so only two lawmakers are nominated for the board of governors and so five members of the club are also part of the board.

During discussions on the bill regarding Islamabad Club, the administrator of the club, Shahid Khan said the administration of the organisation is also working on a similar bill after consultations with the mover of the bill and the Gun Club administration and will soon submit their input.

Criticism of CDA

Discussing various issues related to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), members of the committee expressed displeasure over the civic authority’s performance.

Senators Kalsoom Parveen and Kamil Ali Agha said the CDA had turned a blind eye to all the construction in Islamabad for decades and had now linked utility connections to a no-objection certificate from the CDA, which is creating problems for citizens.

Senator Parveen said a charity organisation linked to former Senate chairman Mohammadmian Soomro in Zone IV of Islamabad had not been provided utility connections.

Responding to this, CDA Member (Planning) Asad Mehboob Kayani said the civic agency had issued a notice to the operators of the building, asking them to not continue construction without prior obtaining approval for the building plan, but they had continued building. The committee gave CDA one week to resolve the issue.

The lawmakers then discussed a bill, moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz, which seeks the establishment of an independent real estate regulatory authority.

“There is no check on the developers who flee the country after selling citizens pre-mature flats and plots and without fulfilling the requirements, putting the buyers in limbo,” Senator Mohsin said.

The CDA member planning opposed the bill arguing that the CDA Ordinance of 1960 already covers most issues raised by the mover of the bill.

“There are no lapses in our regulations, the problem is lack of implementation,” he said.

Secretary CADD Nargis Ghaloo told the committee CADD is already working on forming new CDA rules. The committee decided to take up this bill again in the next meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017