Imtiaz store to remain closed from 3:30pm to 9:30pm

Move comes after severe traffic gridlock in the area owing to no parking space for the superstore

The newly opened Imtiaz Supermarket in Gulshan-e-Iqbal has been directed to remain closed from 3:30pm to 9:30pm starting today until further notice.

The move comes after Imtiaz Supermarket failed to come up with its own parking as promised in the undertaking given to the East deputy commissioner (DC) causing severe traffic gridlock in the area.

"The store hereby, has been ordered to remain closed from 3:30pm to 9:30pm," an order issued to the store's management reads.

It is also mentioned in the order that the store will be under supervision during the hours it is opened. “If there is still nuisance, complete closure might be ordered,” the order reads.



The order also states the clientele of Imtiaz Superstore extends to 700 to 800 vehicles at a time. “Thus this is evident to believer that parking arrangement of that much requirement is not available to you,” reads the order. “Hence the disturbance /public nuisance to smooth flow of traffic on Rashid Minhas Road continues to exist.”

The order further states there isn’t any other option but to order closure of the store until they give a comprehensive traffic management and parking plan duly approved by senior director, transport and communication, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

Confirming the closure, Assistance Commissioner Shoukat Ali Ujjan told The Express Tribune that if the superstore opens the store in violation of the order an FIR would be lodged against them.

Earlier on June 5, deputy commissioner east said the store failed to come up with its own parking as promised in the undertaking with the authorities.

The store claimed that it has a parking space of 300 vehicles and will soon accommodate the customers with additional parking space, Asif Jan Siddiqui had said.



The deputy commissioner explained that they received a letter from the traffic police to take action against the store as well as the residents, who complained about the daily traffic gridlock that takes place ever since the store opened near Moti Mahal. “We were already worried about the traffic situation in the month of Ramazan and the opening of this store has created more challenges for us,” he added.

Traffic AIG Tahir Noorani said that they wrote the letter to the district administration immediately right after the store opening. “We understood what a [traffic] mess this store can create,” he said, adding that the chaos created ever since the new supermarket opened is not easy to manage. People park their cars haphazardly and that adds to the traffic mess, he added.



The residents of residential apartments near the store are, unfortunately, suffering. As soon as the sun sets, the entire area is caught in a massive gridlock that takes 30 minutes for a motorcyclist to pass through, complained resident Daniyal Ashraf.

The officials of Imtiaz store refused, however, to comment on the issue.

The issue came into limelight on May 27 when the store — claimed to be the largest in its chain of supermarkets across the city — attracted thousands of shoppers on its opening day. The store management provided a makeshift parking arrangement inside the Lyari riverbed but the authorities asked it to either silt the river or prepare to be shut down.



Imtiaz has its branches in several parts of the metropolis, with a large number of people visiting the super store every day.