Islamabad Newspaper Vendors Appeal for Reopening of Sealed Newspaper Market

The Islamabad Newspaper Vendors Union and the All Pakistan Newspaper Vendors Federation appeal for the return and reopening of the sealed newspaper market in Islamabad. The appeal is addressed to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Defence Forces Pakistan, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Sohail Ashraf, Chairman of the Capital Development Authority and Chief Commissioner Islamabad.

The vendors explain that the Capital Development Authority established the newspaper market approximately 42 years ago to support the distribution of national and international newspapers to the Presidency, Prime Minister's Office, Senate, government ministries, embassies, government and non-government offices, and readers' homes. The market enabled vendors to collect newspapers according to demand and deliver them early in the morning. They state that the market's land was never allotted to them.

According to the appeal, the CDA issued a bill seeking rent at commercial rates. The Newspaper Vendors Union requested that the rent be assessed at the rates applicable to the newspaper market building and expressed its willingness to pay. The vendors state that they received no response, subsequently handed the plot back to the CDA, and were later served a notice demanding hundreds of thousands of rupees in rent for the vacant plot. They say the newspaper market was then sealed on the grounds of non-payment.

The vendors state that, for the past year, they have been handling newspapers in the open, exposed to severe cold, rain and storms, while continuing deliveries to the Presidency, Prime Minister's Office, ministries, national and international offices, embassies, government and non-government organisations, and readers' homes. They appeal for relief from the closure, which they say has affected the livelihoods of low-income newspaper vendors.

The appeal requests that the newspaper market be returned to the vendors. They express their willingness to pay outstanding dues through instalments set by the CDA and ask the authorities to intervene to restore the market.