Traders reject sealing of businesses after PIMS tragedy, demand transparent probe

Islamabad: Leaders of the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran and the Traders Action Committee Islamabad have expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of 14 newborn babies at PIMS, saying that sealing businesses to shift the burden of administrative failures onto traders is unacceptable.

President of the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran and Traders Action Committee Islamabad Ajmal Baloch said the deaths of newborn babies were a deeply tragic incident, but “taking revenge for the deaths of newborn babies by sealing businesses is not appropriate.” He called for a transparent investigation into the incident and action against those responsible.

Secretary of the Traders Action Committee Islamabad and Chairman of the Traders and Market Development Committee at ICCI Khalid Chaudhry said most commercial buildings in Islamabad were constructed 40 to 50 years ago, making it technically and practically difficult to immediately install complete modern fire-safety systems in them.

President of Karachi Company Raja Zulfiqar and President of F-10 Markaz Ahmed Khan said that some commercial plazas had more than 50 separate owners of shops and offices. They questioned who would be responsible for installing a shared fire-safety system and who would bear its cost.

President of Blue Area Yousaf Rajput and President of G-8 Markaz Ajab Khan said traders were ready to install alternative safety measures, including fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire alarms and emergency-route markings. They questioned why businesses were being sealed when traders were willing to take practical steps to improve fire safety.

The traders’ leaders said that sealing businesses without prior notice, consultation, written instructions and reasonable time would affect the livelihoods of thousands of traders and employees. It would also cause revenue losses to the government and create a sense of insecurity among investors.

They said the PIMS tragedy could not be used as a pretext to create panic across Islamabad and divert attention from the responsibilities of the relevant institutions. They demanded an impartial investigation into PIMS’s administrative and safety systems, fire-safety arrangements and the deaths of the 14 newborn babies, with the findings made public.

The traders’ representatives called on Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi and the CDA Chairman to take immediate notice of the sealing of businesses without prior notice. They also demanded the formation of a joint committee comprising representatives of traders, the CDA and the Fire Department to propose practical fire-safety solutions for old commercial buildings and provide traders with reasonable time to implement the required measures.

They said the business community was ready to cooperate fully with the authorities in ensuring compliance with the law and protecting lives and property, but collective punishment of traders in the wake of the PIMS tragedy was unacceptable.