Traders demand: Call for promulgation of rent control act

Local traders have called upon the government to urgently promulgate a balanced rent control act in the federal capital.

Its absence is creating problems for tenants including traders and giving rise to rent disputes, they said.

Traders Action Committee secretary and Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) former senior vice-president Khalid Chaudhry said that the existing law was totally skewed in favour of the landlords.

He said this while, addressing a meeting of traders on Monday.

Chaudhry said the ICCI sub-committee for traders, in consultation with stakeholders had prepared a draft of a new rent law, which was lying with a National Assembly standing committee for debate since long.

National Assembly Member (MNA) Mian Abdul Manan made some effort and tabled a private bill, Chaudhry said.

He said that during the last election campaign, all parties made the issue a part of their manifestoes, but unfortunately had adopted complete silence now. Chaudhry stressed for urgent promulgation of new rent control act through an ordinance. He appealed to put in abeyance the present cases in court for expulsion of traders till the promulgation of the new law.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2016.