ISLAMABAD: A delegation of local traders led by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Traders Welfare Sub-Committee Chairman and Traders Action Committee Islamabad Secretary Khalid Chaudhry called on ICCI Senior Vice President Muhammad Naveed and Vice President Nisar Ahmed Mirza and apprised them of the problems being faced by the trading community due to absence of a rent control law in Islamabad.
Addressing the delegation, ICCI Senior Vice President Muhammad Naveed said that promulgation of a new rent control act for Islamabad was a long standing demand of traders as due to its non-availability, rent disputes of traders were on the rise.
He said draft of a balanced rent law was prepared with the efforts of ICCI in coordination with other stakeholders; and member of National Assembly Mian Abdul Manan had presented it in the National Assembly long time ago, but it had not been passed into law as yet. He stressed upon the government to play its role for early passage of said draft bill into law from the parliament to save local traders from further problems.
ICCI Vice President Nisar Mirza said that the chamber would fully support future course of action finalised by local traders to pressurise the government for promulgation of new rent law in Islamabad. He said due to the absence of said law, traders were feeling insecure and it was not possible for them to promote business activities with peace of mind.
Speaking at the occasion, ICCI Traders Welfare Sub-Committee Chairman and Traders Action Committee Islamabad Secretary Khalid Chaudhry said that representatives of all markets in Islamabad had decided to resist forced expulsion of traders from their shops and urged that chamber should play role for new rent law to resolve the issue once for all.
He said traders would address a press conference soon on the issue at the National Press Club and invited office-bearers of ICCI to join the said press conference.
He cautioned that if promulgation of new rent law was further delayed, it would increase problems for traders and could disturb the peace of the city. He assured that traders would fully support the ICCI in its endeavours aimed at resolving the rent control law issue in Islamabad.
Published in Daily Times, November 25th 2017.