Traders demand by-pass, overhead bridge in Bara Kahu

ICCI reiterates call for govt to pass new rent control law to resolve issues

ISLAMABAD: Traders from Bara Kahu in the federal capital have sought the construction of a by-pass and an overhead bridge in the area to help solve the traffic issue there.

This was expressed as a delegation of the local body of traders — the Bara Kahu Markazi Union — led by its President Malik Sajjad visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Wednesday.

They raised the issues they faced due to absence of a rent control law in the federal capital, adding that traders of Bara Kahu and other markets were feeling insecure in operating their businesses and called upon the government to expedite the promulgation of a new rent law so that traders can focus on promoting business activities with a peace of mind.

Apart from the demand to build a bypass and an overhead bridge, he complained that there were no proper sanitation arrangements in Bara Kahu.

He said that there was a need to set up filtration plants and public toilets in the market.

Sajjad also urged that Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) to address these issues on an urgent basis.  Moreover, he stated that there was no parking facility in Bara Kahu, due to which traders and customers were facing problems and stressed the CDA to build a multi-storey parking plaza in the market.

The representative of traders said that they were also facing problems from Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Market Committee and emphasised that the district administration should look into this issue to save traders from further problems.

ICCI President Ahmed Hassan Moughal said that Bara Kahu was one of the largest markets in the federal capital and stressed that the CDA and IMC should focus on its development to facilitate the trading community.

He said that the members of previous and current governments had time and again assured to pass an amended bill for rent control apart from promulgating a new rent law in Islamabad.

But Moughal lamented that these assurances have yet to be honoured.

He called on the government to pass the new rent law for Islamabad as soon as possible to resolve a longstanding issue of traders.

He said that other highlighted issues of Bara Kahu should also be addressed on a priority to reduce problems of traders.

Markazi Anjuman-e-Tijaran President Ajmal Baloch, Blue Area Islamabad` Traders Association President Yousaf Rajput, Jinnah Super Market Traders Association President Malik Rab Nawaz, Khalid Chaudhry, ICCI Vice President Iftikhar Anwar Sethi, Yousaf Rajput, Malik Murtaza, Shah Anwar and representatives of other markets were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2019.