ISLAMABAD – The leadership and business community of Islamabad Fruit & Vegetable Market have been reassured by Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), of the chamber’s complete support in resolving their long-standing problems, stressing that the protection of traders’ businesses and livelihoods remains a top priority.
Speaking to a joint delegation of the Fruit & Vegetable Market I-11/1, he expressed gratitude for the cooperation, dedication, and diligence of market leaders and recognized their critical role in guaranteeing a continuous supply of fresh fruits and vegetables to Islamabad and surrounding areas.
The ICCI President expressed concern over the difficulties faced by the traders and highlighted concerns regarding basic facilities, including sanitation, streetlights, footpaths, market infrastructure and especially the encroachments, as well as apprehensions about any proposed relocation of the market.
He stressed that the livelihoods of hundreds of businesses and thousands of people associated with the market must be protected, adding that the chamber would actively take up these matters with the concerned authorities and pursue their early resolution.
Highlighting the export potential of Pakistan’s agricultural sector, Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia said that fruits and vegetables, particularly Pakistani Kinnow, have considerable demand in international markets, including Russia.
He proposed capacity-building programmes for market traders, greater participation of their representatives in international trade delegations, improved packaging and supply-chain standards, and exploration of new export destinations to enable a wider segment of the business community to benefit from international trade opportunities.
Speaking on the occasion, President of the Fruit and Vegetable Association Babu Aleem thanked the ICCI President for his timely intervention and support in taking up the market’s concerns with the relevant authorities.
He said that the market was one of the largest wholesale fruit and vegetable markets in Pakistan, comprising over 600 business establishments and serving Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He added that millions of livelihoods were directly or indirectly linked to its commercial activities.
Tahir Ayub, a former Senior Vise President of the ICCI and Secretary General of the Association, voiced grave concerns about CDA’s disregard for the market in spite of the traders’ frequent payment of high property taxes and water conservation fees.
He urged the authorities to clarify the utilization of funds, resolve administrative jurisdictional issues between CDA and the Market Committee, restore encroached or diverted market land, and ensure that the market’s wholesale status and legitimate commercial interests were protected.
In accordance with worldwide standards, he demanded a complete development plan that included upgraded roads, drainage, sanitation, water supply, parking facilities, contemporary auction grounds, and cold-storage infrastructure.
Additionally, he asked the ICCI leadership to step in regarding the use of land by unrelated organizations, such as Northern Areas Transport Company (NATCO).
ICCI Senior Vise President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chtha assured that the Chamber’s leadership was committed to the availability of a business-friendly environment, emphasizing the need for unity among the ranks of the community for the resolution of the issues and outlining a consensus course of action for the necessary.
