Islamabad, November 3,2026: President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia has assured the leadership and business community of Islamabad Fruit and Vegetable Market of the Chamber’s full support in resolving their longstanding issues, stressing that protecting traders’ businesses and livelihoods remains a top priority.
Addressing a joint delegation of the Fruit and Vegetable Market, I-11/1, he appreciated the unity, commitment and hard work of market representatives and acknowledged their vital role in ensuring an uninterrupted supply of fresh fruits and vegetables to Islamabad and adjoining areas.
The ICCI president expressed concern over the difficulties faced by traders due to inadequate attention from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and other relevant authorities. He highlighted the shortage of basic facilities, including proper sanitation, streetlights, footpaths and adequate market infrastructure, as well as the persistent issue of encroachments and concerns over any proposed relocation of the market.
He stressed that the livelihoods of hundreds of businesses and thousands of people associated with the market must be protected, adding that the Chamber would take up these issues with the relevant authorities and pursue their early resolution.
Highlighting the export potential of Pakistan’s agricultural sector, Zia said Pakistani fruits and vegetables, particularly kinnow, enjoy considerable demand in international markets, including Russia.
He proposed capacity-building programmes for market traders, greater participation of their representatives in international trade delegations, improved packaging and supply-chain standards, and exploration of new export destinations to enable a wider segment of the business community to benefit from international trade opportunities.
Speaking on the occasion, President of the Fruit and Vegetable Association Babu Aleem thanked the ICCI president for his support in taking up the market’s concerns with the relevant authorities.
He said the market was among the largest wholesale fruit and vegetable markets in Pakistan, comprising more than 600 business establishments and serving Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He added that millions of livelihoods were directly or indirectly linked to its commercial activities.
Former ICCI senior vice president and Secretary General of the Association Tahir Ayub expressed serious concern over the CDA’s alleged neglect of the market despite traders regularly paying substantial property taxes and water conservation charges.
He questioned the utilisation of Rs530 million allocated under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2025-26 for the market’s rehabilitation and development. Despite reports that approximately Rs300 million had been released, he said, visible development work remained inadequate.
Ayub urged the authorities to clarify the utilisation of the allocated funds, resolve administrative jurisdictional issues between the CDA and Market Committee, restore encroached or diverted market land, and protect the market’s wholesale status and legitimate commercial interests.
He called for a comprehensive development plan covering improved roads, drainage, sanitation, water supply, parking facilities, modern auction grounds and cold-storage infrastructure in line with international standards. He also sought the ICCI leadership’s intervention regarding land being used by unrelated entities, including the Northern Areas Transport Company (NATCO).
ICCI Senior Vice President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chatha emphasised the need for unity within the business community to resolve the issues and formulate a consensus-based course of action. He assured the traders that the Chamber’s leadership was committed to ensuring a business-friendly environment and facilitating ease of doing business.
In his welcome address, ICCI Vice President Mohammad Waqas Khan Swati said the Chamber’s leadership had not wasted a single day since assuming office and was actively engaging with relevant departments and authorities to address the business community’s concerns.
ICCI Executive Member Mohammad Sohail Chaudhry moderated the event.
Other business leaders who spoke on the occasion and highlighted the market’s problems included Chaudhry Waseem, Chaudhry Arshad, Aamir Rafique, Rizwan Farooq, Arslan Javaid and Haji Shabbir.
Those present also included Iftikhar Anwar Sethi, Israr Mishwani, Syed Imran Bukhari, Malik Rashid Tufail, Rana Istikhar, Abrar ul Haq, Mazher Hussain and other business representatives.
