All Weekly Bazaars Closed Across Islamabad Over Fire Safety Concerns, Sparking Intense Protests from Traders; CDA Mandates Compliance Clearances
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has directed the immediate closure of all the weekly bazaars in Islamabad, including major markets of H-9 and G-6 due to non-compliance of the fire safety measures.
The official notification by CDA states that the weekly markets will continue to be strictly closed until all the necessary safety measures are put in place and the formal fire safety clearance certificates are obtained.
The CDA’s shutdown and traders’ protests have been key highlights.Shutdown of the CDA and the traders’ protests have been key highlights.
The sudden closure caused a great deal of protest and resentment among the traders and business leaders, and the incident was widely publicized.The event was a big news and caused a lot of protest and resentment among businessmen and traders about the abrupt closure. Mr. Asif Malik, a trader representative, said that during the self-help process, traders spent millions from their own funds to be able to undertake safety measures, which included hiring security guards and installing protective equipment, only to find their market gates being closed with closure notices slapped on them overnight by the CDA without any cost being incurred.
Heavy Economic Loss: Traders pointed out that sudden closures can create a huge economic burden as their daily wage and stall income will support their families.Heavy economic loss: Traders noted that a day off will bring tremendous economic hardship, as they will lose their income to support their families.
In addition to the lost profits, inflation-strapped citizens who took advantage of these cheap weekly markets for daily essentials voiced concern that they would be forced to buy essentials at higher prices from the market alternatives.
Demand for Immediate Reopening: There has been a demand for the immediate reopening of bazaars, where the traders have raised questions about the need of closing down markets that are complying with safety measures without conducting any inspection beforehand.