LDA barred from posting ex-official

LAHORE: Punjab Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department has stopped Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General from giving any kind of posting to former Chief Engineer LDA until finalisation of department inquiry launched against him for alleged corruption.

Sources in LDA claimed that the LDA DG vide letter dated 09/01/2019 approached the Housing Department requesting that opinion may be solicited from Law Department as to whether Asrar Saeed, Director Engineering, LDA, can be posted against some post after release from the NAB custody and his post-arrest bail. Asrar Saeed was arrested by NAB in Ashiyana Housing Scheme scam and later he became approver against ex-CM Shahbaz Sharif and former DG LDA Ahad Cheema. After getting bail from NAB court, Asrar Saeed approached LDA DG for his rejoining the post of Chief Engineer, LDA on which the DG sought legal approval from the Housing Department.

As per the Housing Department’s letter dated May 10, 2019 (SO (E-1) 6-62/2009, advice from Regulation wing of S&GAD and Law Department was solicited and forwarded to LDA vide this department’s dated 04/04/2019 for further necessary action.

It said that on the request of LDA DG, the department also conveyed a panel of three officers for appointment as inquiry officer for initiating department proceedings against Asrar Saeed. “Report/intimation regarding action taken by LDA is still awaited,” the letter maintained. It concluded that in the light of the above advice, it is clarified that Asrar Saeed may not be posted against any post until finalisation of inquiry and criminal cases made against him.