ISLAMABAD: The local business community in an urgently called meeting at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry strongly condemned the manhandling of Ajmal Baloch, President, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tijaran and Organizing Secretary, Traders Action Committee, Islamabad by Kohsar Police Station officials and called for urgent removal of Inspector General Islamabad Police and dismissal of police officials who were responsible for beating Ajmal Baloch inside the Police Station.
Speaking on the occasion, Shaban Khalid, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry strongly condemned the Kohsar police action against Ajmal Baloch and added that about a week ago police had attacked his car and manhandled him on the road and now another business leader has been made target of police brutality. This trend shows that Islamabad police have no regards for the businessmen who are playing a crucial role in promoting the local economy despite the hardships. However, instead of protecting the lives and properties of citizens, police was taking actions that hurt their self-respect and create lot of harassment in the business community.
He stressed for immediate withdrawal of FIR against Ajmal Baloch and strong action against those police officials who misbehaved with a respectable business leader.
Addressing the meeting, Munawar Mughal, Vice President, FPCCI said that businessmen have contributed major share to the development of Islamabad, but it was very unfortunate that police, who was responsible to protect their interests, has resorted to taking unethical and uncalled for actions against the business leaders.
He demanded that IGP Islamabad should be held responsible for this unfortunate incident against of Ajmal Baloch and called for his urgent removal. He also called upon the business community to get united to fight for their own rights. He said they can protect their interests only with unity and strength. He emphasized that police should join hands with business community in improving the local economy instead of taking measures that were creating trust deficit between police and the citizens. He said the practice of forced evictions of traders from shops has made their lives very insecure and called upon the government to immediately promulgate a new rent control act in Islamabad to avoid such disputes.
Khalid Chaudhry, Senior Vice President ICCI, M/s. Khalid Javed, Abdur Rauf, Zubair Ahmed Malik, Mian Akram Farid, Rana Qadeer, Tahir Abbasi, Asif Ali, Infikhar Shahzada, Raj Abbasi, Ch. Saeed, Sarfraz Moughal, Ejaz Abbas and many other Presidents of Traders Welfare Associations of various markets also spoke at the occasion and demanded urgent transfer of IGP Islamabad as well as strict action against responsible police officials. They threated that if FIR against Ajmal Baloch was not withdrawn urgently and IGP Islamabad was not removed, they would launch strong protest movement in the city for acceptance of their demands.
They all pointed out that the environment between the business community and police remained cordial and both had always worked together to maintain peace in the city, but the police has become counterproductive in maintaining peace and law & order in the city. They vowed to take strong action against this injustice.
