ISLAMABAD: The traders of federal capital in an emergency meeting at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry have unanimously announced to go for complete shutter down in Islamabad on April 28 to register their strong protest against the government decision for forced closure of shops at 8:00 pm.
The decision was announced by Abdul Rauf Alam Group Leader after thorough consultation with Presidents and General Secretaries of local market unions at ICCI.
The traders said that government should have taken them on board before taking unilateral decision of forced closure of shops in Islamabad. They said the local administration has started visiting main markets of Islamabad to pressurize shopkeepers for forced closure of shops, which was highly condemnable. They vowed that they would never accept closure of shops by 8:00 in Islamabad and threatened that if local administration used any coercive measures, all traders would strongly resist such moves.
Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that government should fully respect the unanimous decision of traders community and should avoid implementing its unilateral decisions on them forcefully. He said if trading community of Islamabad came on roads, it will create law & order situation in the city. He said government should take business community on board on important matters so that with joint efforts, economy could be revived.
Kamran Abbasi President Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries, Ajmal Baloch President Anjuman-e-Tijaran Pakistan, Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tijaran Islamabad, Presidents and market unions also addressed the meeting and appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to take notice of coercive bureaucratic tactics of the local administration against traders. They called upon the Prime Minister to immediately withdraw his decision that was taken without consulting them.
They warned that if government did not pay heed to their strike call, they would take next line of action in the next meeting after April 28 to protect their rights at every cost.
Muzzamil Hussain Sabri President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kamran Abbasi President Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries, Ajmal Baloch President Anjuman-e-Tijaran Pakistan, Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tijaran Islamabad, Presidents and General Secretaries of Market Unions of Islamabad and a large number of business community was present at the occasion.
The traders in a previous meeting had constituted a Committee under the leadership of Abdul Rauf Alam Group Leader to negotiate with the government on this sensitive issue. Muzzamil Hussain Sabri President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kamran Abbasi President Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries, Ajmal Baloch President Anjuman-e-Tijaran Pakistan, Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tijaran Islamabad were its members. NNI