By Nadeem Tanoli
ISLAMABAD: A major accountability gap has emerged in repair and renovation works at Parliament Lodges and government residences in Islamabad after the Capital Development Authority (CDA) informed the Senate that its contracts do not require government employees living in the buildings to sign completion certificates confirming that the work has been carried out.
The disclosure has raised questions about how the civic agency verifies repair works, checks contractors’ claims and ensures proper utilisation of public funds. The official reply lists 255 repair and maintenance jobs, provides the names of contractors and financial details, and includes completion certificates. However, it does not establish that residents of the affected buildings independently checked and approved the works.
The information was provided by the CDA’s Parliament Lodges and Hostels Directorate in response to a question moved by Senator Kamran Murtaza. The senator had sought details of completion certificates submitted by contractors, the number of certificates issued for repair and renovation works in government residences in sectors G-5, G-6 and F-6, and the names of contractors along with funds released and payments made to them.
Senator Murtaza specifically asked whether contractors were required to submit completion certificates signed by government employees residing in the concerned residences. He also sought details of work carried out during the last two years.
In its reply, the CDA stated that the contract agreement does not contain any clause requiring signatures from government employees residing in the concerned residence.
The authority added that parliamentarians had been requested to provide completion certificates as acknowledgement that the work had been completed to their satisfaction.
The reply leaves a key question unanswered: if residents are not required to sign off on repair works, what independent mechanism ensures that the works listed in official records have actually been completed to the required standard?
The CDA said the list of works carried out during the last two years had been placed at Flag A and that the completion certificates were attached for reference.
The attached financial record contains 255 listed repair and maintenance jobs involving Parliament Lodges and government hostels in Islamabad. The works include repairs to individual suites, family suites and other residential facilities.
The table records the name of each job, its agreement amount, the contractor responsible, the total allocation, total expenditure and remaining balance.
Several contractors appear repeatedly in the records. These include Technoflux, ASK Enterprises, Team Work, RMRK Engineering, Shah G and Brothers, M/s Muhammad Rehman Z and Company, Saifullah Builders, AL Madina Traders, Best Ways Traders, HM Capital Builders, Ansari Trading Corporation and other firms.
The listed works include repairs to bathrooms, plumbing, electrical fittings, doors, flooring, PVC panelling, curtains, furniture, kitchen cabinets, air conditioning systems, whitewashing and other renovation works.
The 34-page document also contains several completion and acknowledgement certificates issued for individual residences and Parliament Lodges.
These certificates describe works carried out by contractors and mark the listed items as completed. Some relate to basic repair works such as whitewashing, door locks, electricity switches, curtains and upholstery. Others mention more extensive renovation works, including bathroom repairs, flooring, kitchen fittings, air conditioning and furniture.
Some certificates contain statements that the work was completed to the satisfaction of the concerned resident or representative. The attached pages also contain signatures and names of people acknowledging the work.
However, the central issue remains whether these certificates are backed by a consistent and independent inspection process. The CDA’s reply does not clearly explain how the authority checks the work before accepting a contractor’s claim or releasing payment.
The repeated appearance of different firms in the contracts makes proper monitoring especially important. Repair and maintenance works may involve several separate items in one residence, while the financial record lists different agreement amounts and expenditure figures for individual jobs.
In the absence of a clear verification process, questions can arise over whether the work was completed in full, whether the materials used matched the agreed specifications and whether the amount paid was justified.
The senator’s question sought precisely the information needed to examine these issues, including contractor names, completion certificates and payment details.
Although the CDA supplied a detailed list of jobs and financial records, its response leaves the issue of independent verification unresolved. In particular, it does not state whether a separate inspection team checks each completed job or whether the authority relies mainly on certificates and acknowledgements.
