Islamabad: Bombing of Police Lines, hoaxes: Business activities slump in capital

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: Business activities in the federal capital on Friday witnessed further slump after Thursday’s bomb blast at Police Lines, rumours of country’s poor financial position, bomb hoaxes and police misbehaviour with transporters at dozens of checkpoints established throughout the city as a security measure.

Aabpara, Super, Jinnah Super, Blue Area, Karachi Company and Melody markets witnessed a thin number of customers on Friday and traders complained that there has been up to 70 percent decrease in their business.

“Usually Fridays are a rush day in the markets but we are sitting idle since morning, as series of blasts and bomb hoaxes have scared the people, said Jawwad Ahmed, a wholesaler at Aabpara Market.

Blue Area Traders Association President Malik Sagheer Ahmed, G-9 Markaz Traders Union President Malik Ehsan Elahi and other business community representatives expressed similar views.

“The Thursday bomb blast has panicked the residents and police misbehaviour with people at dozens of pickets established in the name of tight security is keeping the customers away from the markets,” said Ajmal Baloch, Aabpara Market Traders Association President.

Baloch strongly criticised the Islamabad administration. He alleged that the administration had failed to stop terrorist activities and police humiliating innocent citizens by asking irrelevant questions at checkpoints.

“If police officials are checking vehicles to prevent suicide attacks then why they not only check presence of any explosive material or weapons in the vehicle and why they ask for registration of vehicle and check engine and chassis numbers to create trouble for motorists,” he asked. He said in the name of checking policemen have openly started asking for bribe at different checkpoints.

“The Thursday’s bomb blast, the rumours of country’s poor financial position and bomb hoaxes have scared the people that plunged the business 70 percent down,” said Islamabad National Traders Alliance Vice President Malik Sohail Hussain.

He said news reports on different private TV channels regarding the country’s poor financial position and bomb hoaxes had created a panic among traders and business community.

“The rent of one shop in Blue area ranges between Rs 40,000 to Rs 100,000 per month and a trader have to pay utility bills along with salaries of staff,” he said, adding, due to prevailing economic uncertainty and law and order situation the traders are facing huge losses. He said such rumours were fatal to the business activities.

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President said unannounced long spells of load-shedding, increase in diesel prices in Ramadan and police checkpoints had destroyed the manufacturing business in the capital and hundreds of manufacturing units had stopped production.

He said police at checkpoints were exploiting the transporters carrying raw material or taking out the finished goods from the capital in the name of security.

“Police have not issued any permits or permission letters for trucks which transport goods in and out of the capital and police deployed at checkpoints extort bribe from every truck or delay it unnecessarily for hours if they refuse to bribe,” he said.

He appealed to media not to broadcast unconfirmed news; especially bomb hoaxes and news relating to economy collapse as they negatively affect business activities. He also appealed to Islamabad administration to devise some system to check the vehicles entering the capital with raw materials or other items.

Islamabad SSP Ahmed Latif and other senior officers were not available for comments.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg11_1