The auction terms included the construction of basements, and now the demand for millions of rupees in fees is unjustified, Haji Zafar Iqbal said.

DG BCS Khalid Asif should take immediate notice and abolish the additional basement fee, said Salawar Khan.

Islamabad (City Reporter) The President of the Traders Welfare Association Auto Market I-10/3, Salawar Khan, General Secretary Rana Muhammad Hussain, and General Secretary of Steel Market I-10/3, Haji Zafar Iqbal, stated that approximately twenty-five years ago, plots were allocated in Auto Market and Steel Market I-10/3 through a limited auction by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A total of 337 plots were allocated in both markets, of which about 90 percent have been completed.

They said that at the time of the auction, the terms allowed for the construction of basements and ground floors, and there was no separate fee imposed for basements. According to these terms, most allottees completed their constructions on their plots, but now complaints have arisen regarding the Building Control Section (BCS) allegedly demanding additional fees of up to 3 million rupees for the construction of remaining plots, which is causing severe concern among traders.

The trader leaders stated that it is inappropriate to change the terms agreed upon at the time of the auction twenty-five years later, imposing millions of rupees in additional financial burdens on plot owners. If the construction of basements was included in the original auction and allotment terms, there is no justification for imposing new or additional fees. Relevant authorities should find an immediate and fair solution to the matter in light of the original records.

They further stated that traders should not face unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles and delays regarding building control matters. The process for the approval of construction plans and other related issues should be made easier, transparent, and uniform for the business community, so that traders do not have to make unnecessary trips to offices.

Salawar Khan, Rana Muhammad Hussain, and Haji Zafar Iqbal demanded that Director General BCS Khalid Asif personally take immediate notice of the matter, review the original terms and records of the auction conducted twenty-five years ago, and abolish the additional fees imposed on basements.

They said that Auto Market and Steel Market I-10/3 are important business markets in Islamabad, where hundreds of traders and businesses operate. Resolving the long-standing construction issues in these markets will not only provide relief to traders but also promote business and economic activities.

The trader leaders demanded that BCS officials hold an immediate meeting with representatives of the Auto and Steel Markets, resolve all matters in light of the original auction terms, and remove unnecessary obstacles hindering the legal constructions of the remaining plots.