Punjab

Capital traders seek security

Urge authorities to vet foreigners living in Islamabad

Our Correspondent February 01, 2023

The demand was made after a meeting between ICCI President and members of All Traders Welfare Association Blue Area. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE

RAWALPINDI:

The business community of the federal capital has strongly condemned the incident of terrorism at Peshawar Police Lines and have demanded security clearance for foreigners residing in Islamabad.

In this regard, the President of All Pakistan Association of Traders and Traders Action Committee Islamabad Ajmal Baloch, Secretary and Chairman Traders Committee ICCI Khalid Chaudhry and other business leaders issued a joint statement yesterday in which they strongly condemned the terror incident in Peshawar Police Lines. The business community maintained that those who commit terrorism in mosques cannot be called as Muslims under any circumstances, nor do they have the right to be called as human beings.

The statement said that Police Lines are considered one the most sensitive areas and access of terrorists to the area is a question mark on the functioning of security agencies.

The business leaders demanded Army Chief General Asim Munir to conduct an inquiry into the incident of terrorism, and teach a lesson to the perpetrators of the terror incident and their facilitators.

While expressing condolences to the bereaved families of the martyred policemen, they further said that countless foreigners have settled in Islamabad and their security was the responsibility of the state. They urged Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to ensure security clearance of the illegal residents and evict them from the city.

The illegal residents are systematically involved in theft and robberies while many of them have been issued business licenses by MCI, they said, appealing the officials of all the markets to identify the illegal residents in their areas.

They also urged businesses to also provide a list of immigrant employees to the police.

They alleged that illegal residents continue to do business at several Sunday markets, fruit and vegetable wholesale bazars, and other markets.

The business leaders asked the businessmen not to give employment to any foreigner without clearance and hoped that IG Police Dr. Akbar will issue orders for immediate action keeping in mind the seriousness of this matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2023.