ISLAMABAD: The business community of the federal capital has announced that it will stage a peaceful sit-in outside the Capital Development Authority (CDA) headquarters on Thursday, December 11, at 2pm to protest what it describes as the Authority’s “anti-business measures” that are hurting commercial activity in Islamabad.
The announcement was made by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) President Sardar Tahir Mehmood during a joint press conference held at the Munawar Mughal Hall on Tuesday. He said the sit-in would continue until the federal government transfers the incumbent CDA Chairman.
The press conference was attended by a large number of industrialists, traders, market association leaders, and the President of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran. The participants strongly criticised what they termed the CDA’s high-handed actions allegedly being undertaken on the directives of Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa. They warned that the Authority’s current approach was creating uncertainty, disrupting business operations, and damaging the city’s economic environment.
Sardar Tahir Mehmood said the private sector had always cooperated with the CDA for the city’s improvement, but the recent crackdown on commercial establishments and markets had crossed all limits. He urged the government to intervene immediately, replace the CDA Chairman, and initiate a dialogue to address the concerns of traders and industrialists to prevent further economic disruption in the federal capital.
