Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Kohsar Market of F-6/3has turned into a source of nuisance for people as despite a sub-sector market, it is now ‘Food Street’ where people are spending nights.

The people living around this market are facing terrible situation, as it was originally designed to provide the basic necessities for a limited locality, but currently it has been converted into a Food Street.

The ‘Kohsar Market’ was a sub sector level market to provide basic necessities to the residents of the area like grocery store, meat, vegetable, stationary, garments and other shops; whereas, other facilities can also be established in such markets i.e. hair salons, boutiques or even fitness clubs.

But, deviating from the master plan of Islamabad, the ‘Kohsar Market’ became a full fledge food street as it contains a large number of restaurants, cafés and coffee shops. The place is famous for social gathering among the elite of not only the Islamabad, but people hails from Rawalpindi are also used to gather at this market.

The conversion of an ordinary market into a food street causing several societal disorders in the locality as the surrounding roads become chocked due to heavy traffic; whereas on the other side the area is continuously under the threat of terrorism due to its importance and presence of high class in the restaurants.

The people living in the area has also claimed that they are forced to visit main markets to even buy routine eatable because it is impossible to even walk on the footpath in the market as it is encroached by restaurant owners. The footpaths are being used for sitting arrangements by these traders.

The sources inside the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have briefed the Daily Times that the market status was converted in convenience with authority officials. They admit that the said market was not for the purpose which it is serving presently.

While responding on the issue Director Urban Planning Ejaz Ahmed Shaikh has said that the market was never meant to open a series of restaurant in a line, but it was to provide basic facilities on sub sector level.

When asked another officer in the planning wing that who is empowered to curtail this misuse of the facility, he said; “The Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) is issuing trade licenses to establish businesses and it should assess the needs of local people and also gauge the positive and negative outcomes of any trade on the people living in the area.”

However, the Director DMA Tahir Shahbaz avoided to take the responsibility and said that the issuance of trade license is only to collect municipal tax and people come to us after establishing their businesses on ground. When pressed that how your office can issue dozens of trade licenses for restaurants in one market, he responded; “the buildings are of commercial nature and we don’t have any law to stop a commercial activity in building allowed to do so.”

After reviewing the relevant regulations and talking with officers appointed in different formations the Daily Times have learnt that the regulations are silent over the misuse of sub sectoral markets for a specific purpose, but it is the responsibility of city managers to implement Master Plan in letter and spirit as they know very well that what is the use of any building.

It is a need of hour to revisit the regulations by civic body to stop conversion of common markets into a specified market.