By Asad Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The Presidents of trade associations of local markets of the federal capital in a meeting of ICCI Traders Welfare Sub-Committee on Friday said that the CDA and MCI were not resolving key issues of markets and threatened that if this approach was not changed, they would completely boycott CDA and MCI.
They passed a resolution calling upon MCI to immediately withdraw 1000 percent increase in various taxes. They said that no market association would get license from MCI or CDA and in case of any law and order situation on this account, these civic bodies would be responsible for the consequences.
Tahir Abbasi, Senior Vice President, Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), Khalid Chaudhry Convener ICCI Traders Welfare Sub-Committee, Ajmal Baloch President Anjamun-e-Tijaran and others were present at the occasion.
Addressing the meeting, Tahir Abbasi, Senior Vice President ICCI said that MCI has made massive increase in various taxes including trade license fee, which has created great concerns in trading community. He said that these measures of MCI would increase difficulties for the government and urged that MCI should reconsider its decision.
Khalid Chaudhry, Convener, ICCI Traders Welfare Sub-Committee said that for the last four years, CDA and MCI have not done any development work in local markets due to which condition of markets has deteriorated. He said that tussle between CDA and MCI over funds was increasing problems for traders. He said that in the presence of CDA, there was no need of MCI and said that legal requirements were not met by MCI before making exorbitant increase in taxes.
Ajmal Baloch President Anjuman-e-Tijaran Pakistan said that MCI has made lives of citizens very difficult as there were no proper sanitation arrangements in markets and residential areas, footpaths were in broken condition, sewerage lines were chocked and filtered drinking water was not available. He appealed to the Prime Minister Imran Khan to appoint an Administrator in MCI and issue orders for withdrawal of massive increase in taxes.
Ch. Nadeem ud Din President PTI Traders Wing Islamabad, Malik Rab Nawaz President Jinnah Super Market, Yousaf Rajput President Blue Area, Muhammad Hussain Secretary General Super Market, Ch. Aftab Gujjar President G-11, Sheikh Awais President E-11, Malik Naveed President G-7 Market, Ch. Ashraf Farzand Senior Vice President Sitara Market, Naveed Abbasi President Bara Kahu Market, Nasir Chaudhry, Syed Qaiser Shah Kazmi, Sheikh Javed, Muhammad Kashif, Ahmed Khan, Mehboob Khan, Abdul Rehman Siddiqui, Musharraf Janjua, Salawar Khan, Raja Safeer, Hamid Meraj, Ch. Irfan, Raja Zulsham, Yasir Abbasi, Raja Hassan Akhtar, Tehmas Butt, Zahid Hamid, Shamim Khan and others also addressed the meeting and reiterated that they would boycott CDA and MCI if their key issues were not resolved.
