ISLAMABAD: Traders of F-10 Markaz after closing their shops on Monday staged a protest against Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) for what they called selective anti-encroachment operations in markaz.

They blocked the main double road of F-10 with burning tyres and raised slogans against MCI and the concerned assistant commissioner for conducting anti-encroachment operations and sealing some hotels on Sunday. They kept the main road blocked for more than an hour.

They warned the MCI/DMA not to conduct operations without taking the concerned traders’ union on board, adding that instead of targeting legitimate shopkeepers, action should be taken against vendors.

Traders leaders including Tahir Abbasi, Malik Ahmed, Malik Naeem, Sardar Tahir and Chaudhry Khalid spoke on the occasion and condemned the operations.

“We have been paying main role in country’s economy and currently in almost all markets of Islamabad we have set up relief camps for flood affectees. At this critical stage, DMA is targeting shopkeepers, who pay huge rent to landlords and doing legitimate business.

“We are not against the operations and want markets should be cleared but DMA is not taking action against vendors and stallholders,” said Federation of Realtors Pakistan and the Islamabad Estate Agents Association President Sardar Tahir Mehmood.

Speaking at the protest venue, he said that the administration should sit with traders for resolving the issue of encroachment in Islamabad. DMA Director Shakeel Arshad said the operation was conducted to remove encroachments from F-10 Markaz.

He said that confiscated items had been handed over to Shalimar police.

In the past, the DMA used to confiscate items from encroachers, however, a few days ago the MCI decided that instead of bringing the confiscated items to DMA store, the same should be handed over to the area police. It seems this step has perturbed traders.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2022