Stallholders and workers of the H-9 weekly bazaars in the federal capital staged a strong protest on Friday against the Director of the DMA, Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI). They shut down the busiest CDA-managed weekly bazaars for several hours, causing severe inconvenience to thousands of shoppers.
The protesting stallholders closed their stalls and demanded the immediate removal of DMA Director Dr Anum Fatima, accusing her of exerting undue pressure on workers, cancelling stalls without justification, and reallocating them to favoured individuals. They warned that if she was not removed, they would expand their protest and shut down all weekly bazaars across Islamabad.
Thousands of workers, led by Malik Muhammad Asif, General Secretary of the Weekly Stallholders Welfare Association, participated in the demonstration. Carrying banners and placards, traders and daily wage workers raised slogans against the director, condemning her conduct and policies.
The protesters said the DMA's decisions were not only hurting the livelihoods of stallholders but also threatening the survival of their families.
They alleged that the director was imposing unnecessary pressure, unjustified heavy fines, and harsh conditions that were unacceptable.
Addressing the rally, Malik Muhammad Asif said the weekly bazaars were the source of income for hundreds of families, but the unfair actions of DMA officials were pushing workers towards economic misery.
He called on the government and higher authorities to resolve the stallholders' issues immediately and remove the director.
The protesters warned that if their genuine demands were not met, they would escalate their movement and shut down all weekly bazaars in Islamabad.
Repeated attempts to contact the director for her version of the story remained unsuccessful as her phone remained switched off.
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