ISLAMABAD: Workers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) do not oppose the devolution of the civic agency to the first-ever, just elected municipal corporation of Islamabad, but they do fear losing their rights in the event.

`We will not accept the devolution until our rights are protected,` general secretary of the CDA Employees Union Chaudhry Yasin told a press conference on Monday, claiming that the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015 is silent on protecting the rights of around 10,000 CDA employees.

Flanked by officials of other trade unions, he announced a `massive protest rally` by his union at Aabpara on Wednesday.

`I represent 15,000 employees of CDA and we can start a massive movement,` he added for emphasis.

`We will prefer dialogue with the government but, unfortunately, it has not responded so far, he said, asserting that the 15,000 CDA employees he represents `have rejected devolution ofCDA under the current local government act`.

Representatives of other trade unions, including the General Secretary of Palcistan Worl(ers Federation, Zahoor Awan, General Secretary of All Pakistan Akhbar Farosh Federation, Tikka Khan, assured their unions` full support to CDA employees` struggle.

`Our service structure is different from other organizations,` said Chaudhry Yasin, asking `who will protect the rights and ensure the facilities of CDA employees as the law is completely silent in this regard?` As many as 47 wings and directorates of the CDA and two departments of ICT Administration, with 10,000 employees, will be devolved either fully or partially to the upcoming local government of Islamabad.

Those to be fully devolved include the directorate of water and sewerage, zoo and wildlife, sanitation, sports and culture, civic management, water supply, building control, roads and marl(ets maintenance, enforcement and environmental protection, rural development department of ICT and the union councils under ICT local government ordinance 1979.Nineteen directorates, including those for administration, human resource, public relations, law and information technology, will be partially devolved.

Chaudhry Yasin said that, based on their seniority, the CDA employees are entitled to get a residential plot in Islamabad, and every year 45 Muslim employees, selected mutually by the CDA Board and the employee unions, are sent on Haj and 10 Christian employees to the Vatican City.

Though the 50 union council chairmen elected on December 5 are to elect the 16 members on the reserved seats of women, youth, workers and non-Muslims, to complete the 66-member Islamabad Municipal Corporation, the Election Commission of Pakistan is yet to announce the procedure for the exercise.

Once the exercise is completed, the full house will elect the first-ever Mayor of Islamabad, and two deputy mayors.

An election commission official told Dawn, on the condition of anonymity, that the procedure has been agreed `and will be announced in a few days`.