ISLAMABAD: The business community is the backbone of the economy and the ICT Administration will try to resolve their key issues on a priority basis to facilitate the growth of business activities. This was said by Capt (Retd) Mushtaq Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner ICT, Islamabad while speaking at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was accompanied by ADC (East) Capt (r) Waqas Rashid, AC Secretariat Mr. Hassan Waqar Cheema, AC Saddar Bushra Iqbal and others. Capt (r) Mushtaq Ahmed said that the draft bill of new rent law would be returned to the government within one week after its public hearing. He said the parking issue of markets would be taken up with the CDA in the next meeting to find out its solution. He said raids on food outlets had been stopped and a new grading policy for such businesses was being formulated. He said a seminar on this policy will also be held in the ICCI to take the input of stakeholders. He said after the approval of the policy, a joint team of the ICCI and the ICT Administration would conduct inspection of food outlets to ensure compliance of required standards. He said Parade Ground had been earmarked for public meetings in Islamabad to avoid problems in markets. He also issued some instructions to his team at the spot for the resolution of many highlighted issues. Speaking on the occasion, Khalid Iqbal Malik, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry discussed various issues of the business community. He said a new draft bill of the rent law for Islamabad was forwarded by the government to the ICT Administration for comments. He urged that required action on the said draft bill should be taken in consultation with the ICCI and this process should be completed soon because the absence of the rent law was giving rise to traders’ rent disputes. He said non-availability of parking in markets had become a serious issue and the ICT Administration should develop a new strategy in consultation with the CDA to address this issue. He said a Market Committee was formed for the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale market and stressed that the ICT Administration should settle its issues through a dialogue with the union of the said market. He said protests and public meetings in business areas and on major roads in Islamabad were creating problems for the business community and emphasised that the ICT Administration should earmark a separate place away from markets for such activities.