Fruit Mandi Traders Welfare Association (FMTWA) in Sector I-11/4 has threatened to shut down their businesses for an indefinite period against what they called an unjustified tax by a newly formed market committee by the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Members of the Fruit Mandi Traders Welfare Association at the protest included Chairman FMTWA Syed Siraj Agha, and Ashfaq Abbasi, Choudhary Kashif, Haji Moman, Muhmood Abbas Sheikh Younas among others. Addressing to protesters, Syed Siraj Agha Chairman Fruit Mandi Traders Welfare Association said ICT had constituted a committee to deal with market affairs which was "not only illegal and unconstitutional but it is also a source of corruption and bribery".
"The Market committee of ICT has been constituted after declaring Islamabad as an agriculture area and given the mandate to collect Rs 25,000 on account of licence fee from wholesalers and Rs 12,000 from retailers per annum, in addition to a charge of Rs 5,000 on every trip of a truck which enters the market to offload the merchandise".
He said that any such committee should have been formed by the local government which could not happen in Islamabad since local body elections had yet to be held. The traders said they had taken land from CDA on a 99-year lease so the ICT did not have a right to constitute a market committee to impose and collect taxes from traders which they termed as extortion. "We will block IG Principal Road and other main highways if our demands are not met", said Siraj Agha He warned that their protests would create shortage of fruits and vegetables in the twin cities, adding the Islamabad commissioner and CDA chairperson would be responsible for the situation.
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