ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Traders Welfare Association, F-8 Markaz, Islamabad led by its President Sardar Tahir Mehmood visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry and highlighted various issues of their market. Ajmal Baloch President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tijran, Ch. Nadeem President PTI Traders Wing, Yousaf Rajput President Blue Area, Malik Rab Nawaz President Jinnah Super, Sheikh Awais President E-11, Ch. Zahid Rafiq General Secretary Islamabad Estate Agents Association, Awal Khan General Secretary G-9 Markaz, Khalid Chaudhry and representatives of various other markets were also present at the occasion.
Addressing the delegation, Ahmed Hassan Moughal, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that CDA had approved two multi-storey car parking, each for Jinnah Super Market and F-8 Markaz. He said carping parking in Jinnah Super has been built which was greatly facilitating the traders. However, CDA has not yet taken any measures to build multi-storey car parking in F-8 and stressed that civic body should expedite this matter for the facilitation of traders.
Rafat Farid, Senior Vice President, ICCI said that government was taking many initiatives for improving ease of doing business which was laudable. However, he said that government should also focus on better development of all markets in Islamabad to facilitate the growth of business activities.
Speaking at the occasion, Sardar Tahir Mehmood President and Ismail Khan General Secretary, TWA F-8 Markaz, Islamabad said that due to district courts in their market, parking was becoming a serious issue and urged that CDA should take measures to build the already approved car parking in the market. They said that existence of district courts in F-8 was non-conforming use of the commercial center and courts should be shifted to a safe place. They said that carpeting of roads and lane marking in F-8 was badly needed and CDA should pay attention to this issue.
They said that CDA has not provided any filtration plant in F-8 Markaz due to which traders were deprived of clean drinking water. However, they said that association was now building two filtration plants in the market on self-finance basis.
Traders demanded that Islamabad should be divided into East and West Zones with arrangement of separate court for each zone that would help in resolving issues. They said that plazas were being built in Class-III shopping centers which was against the interests of traders and called upon the CDA to look into this issue. They said that FBR was imposing fines on late return filers and subjecting them to audit process. They urged that tax department should avoid this practice to save traders from further problems.
