Islamabad - In what could be well described as height of financial mismanagement, the legal department of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been waiting for their salaries for the last six months, it has been learnt.
According to sources, the lawyers engaged in the legal department of the authority have not been paid their salaries for the last six months for the reason best known to the CDA high-ups. Similarly, they are also yet to be paid the bills (case fees), said the sources. There are 7 additional legal advisors to assist the legal advisor, besides over 40 panel advocates, in the CDA. “A few influential have succeeded in getting their salaries. But the rest of the people are facing financial hardships due to delay in release of their salaries and bills,” said a sources in the CDA on condition of anonymity.
It is to mention here that the authority has long been facing financial crunch and the legal wing has turned out to be the real victims of the same.
The sources further told this scribe that the law directorate of the CDA marks the cases to the panel advocates without taking input from the legal department of the authority which is causing confusion amongst the law and legal department. “The law directorate marks the case to a panel advocate on the basis of personal relationship and nothing more as relevant expertise and experience is considered. But it is the legal wing – the overall in-charge department which deals cases in the relevant courts — which later has to face problems when the recommended advocate is found with no relevant expertise,” the sources added.
This scribe repeatedly attempted to contact the high-ups of the finance wing of the authority to get their version but could not succeed.