Traders demand Centaurus Mall de-sealed
RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Saqib Rafiq has demanded the government to immediately de-seal Centaurus Mall, the major business center of Islamabad.
In a statement, Saqib Rafiq said the employment of millions of families is connected to this center. Apart from political affiliation, the mall should be opened in the public interest, he added.
He said business activities have already slowed down due to the economic crisis. The government should facilitate people and the business community. He said the Centaurus Mall administration is fully cooperating with the district administration.
He said the mall should be de-sealed so that the restoration work, repairs, and renovations could be initiated. Due to the temporary closure of Centaurus Mall, daily wage earners have lost their jobs.
“We demand that mega shopping mall should be de-sealed so that business activities can be resumed quickly,” he said.
President, All Pakistan Traders Association Ajmal Baloch demanded of the Islamabad administration in general and the deputy commissioner (DC) in particular to de-seal Centaurus Mall at once.
Addressing a press conference along with traders’ representatives, Ajmal said that the conduct of the local administration with the business community is not cooperative.
He demanded a free hand for the traders to carry out business activities with peace of mind. He made it clear that the business community will not pay new taxes being imposed on them unethically.
The trader’s leaders said that the administration of the Centaurus Mall took prompt action and evacuated the people after the inferno erupted from the kitchen of a food outlet in the mall, which is highly laudable, but regretted that despite no one being hurt in the incident the mall had been sealed without any reason and FIR has been registered, unfairly.
Traders demand Centaurus Mall de-sealed
He demanded the de-sealing of the Centaurus Mall forthwith. He warned the traders will resort to stage sit-ins and further announced to resort to shutter down of the business centers.
He asked the federal capital administration to avoid harassing traders by slapping section 144 against the traders if they wanted to arrest the PTI leaders or someone else.
Ajmal Baloch demanded of the prime minister and interior minister to look into the matter sympathetically and redress the demands of the trader’s community.
