New rent control law: Asad Umar urged to keep electoral promise

Capital’s businessmen say law’s absence leading to problems

ISLAMABAD: Businessmen in the federal capital have called on the federal finance minister to keep his pre-election promise of bringing a new rent-control law in the city which would resolve the issues that they face.

This was urged by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Ahmed Hassan while speaking to a delegation of Traders Welfare Association (TWA) of Sector F-6 Super Market.

"Finance Minister Asad Umar, during his election campaign, had assured the traders of Islamabad that after winning the general elections, he would try to promote a new rent control law in Islamabad during the first 100 days of his government," ICCI President Hassan said.

Due to the lack of a rent control law, Hassan said, incidents of rent disputes and forced evictions of traders from shops were on the rise.  He said that the Sector F-6 Super Market was the face of Islamabad and needed urgent attention of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for its development.

He added that due to its key location, foreign diplomats, foreign visitors and other dignitaries frequently visited this market for shopping. He urged the CDA to focus on resolving Super Market’s key issues, including the provision of a filtration plant, restoring all street lights and redesigning and expansion of car parking to facilitate business activities.

He assured that ICCI would fully cooperate with TWA Super Market in its endeavours aimed at resolving the major issues of traders of the area. ICCI Senior Vice President Rafat Farid said that most of the issues faced by traders were related to CDA and ICCI was making efforts to arrange a meeting with CDA Chairman in the near future to discuss issues of the business community to find out their optimum solutions.

Speaking at the occasion, TWA President Shehzad Shabbir Abbasi highlighted various issues of their Market.

He said that due to the absence of rent control act, traders were feeling insecure and that the ICCI should cooperate in the urgent resolution of this issue.

He said that traders and residents of the area were deprived of clean drinking water and that the current car parking was insufficient and urged that CDA redesign the parking space and expand it by re-carpeting the roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2018.