Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a press conference at Islamabad Press Club against the government’s decision for early closure of markets and shops in Islamabad.
The meeting was chaired by Abdul Rauf Alam, Founder Group Chairman. Islamabad Chamber of Commerce (ICC) President Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry President, Kamran Abbasi, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tijaran President, Ajmal Baloch, Markazi Anjuman-e-Tijaran Islamabad President, Kashif Chaudhry, ICCI Senior Vice President, M. Shakeel Munir, Jinnah Super President, M. Ejaz Abbasi, FPCCI Chief Coordinator, Malik Sohail Hussain, ICCI former SVP Khalid Chaudhry, and Presidents of other markets were also present at the occasion.
Addressing the press conference on behalf of business community, Founder Group Chairman Abdul Rauf Alam said that recently government took a unilateral decision without consulting traders on the matter of closing up markets and shops by 8:00 pm, marriage halls by 10:00 pm, and restaurants by 11:00 pm, in Islamabad and Punjab. In addition, the local administration in the ICT quickly came into action for forceful implementation of the decision, which has created lot of resentment in the trading community.
He said a meeting was held with chief commissioner and deputy commissioner ICT to show concerns about the business community against this move but unfortunately, the behaviour of these officers was not at all positive.
He said the entire business community in a meeting held April 11, 2015 with the ICCI rejected the government’s decision to close down markets early. He warned that if the administration resorted to forcibly shutting down shops then traders would retaliate by launching a shutter down movement.
He said a Committee has been formed under his chair with Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, Kamran Abbasi, Ajmal Baloch and Kashif Chaudhry as its members, Malik Sohail Hussain as Advisor and Khalid Chaudhry as Coordinator to negotiate with the government. Moreover, a Core Committee has also been formed comprising all presidents and general secretaries of market unions to convey the traders’ point of view to the upper Committee.
