STAFF REPORT
WAH CANTT: The trader community of Wah is at loggerheads with the Cantonment board Wah (CBW) authorities as they lock horns over the dealing of the properties utilized for commercial purposes and they trade allegations through press conferences held on Friday. The civic body and traders’ representatives are draggers drawn against each other over the sealing of the properties in the different parties of the garrison city from last two months and their dispute now being made public through press conferences from indoor meeting and litigation.
The traders’ representatives including Senior Vice President Chamber of Commerce and Small Industries Naeem Ashraf, Chairman traders’ union Raja Habib Ur Rehman, President Faisal Abbassi and Vice President Sohail Ahmed in a press conference at local hotel issued a white paper against CBW authorities in which they alleged that some blue eyed building control department of the civic body allowed conservation of the residential properties in to commercial and now they sealing them through different tactics. They were of the view that the CBW commercialization fee is highest in the country and unable to pay such heavy fees resultantly their proprieties are being sealed.
Raja Habib was of the view that there are over 40 Cantonments in the country and why the drill of sealing of the properties is continuing in the only Wah. He alleged that the civic body is utilizing colonial law to create unrest among the trader community who are the backbone of the economy. He said that shops of those traders who are paying taxes are being sealed while scores of kiosks and civic body officials are looking to permanent encroachments by the influential as idle spectators due to reasons best known to them. “These are not 118 commercial units but 118 families from which the civic body officials are snatching bread and butter”, Naeem Ashraf said. He said state is like mother and they should not trader community like step motherly tactics. He was of the view that these buildings not erected over night and the civic body should keep their house in order before putting the trader community to wall who are generating heavy taxes to the civic body through different taxes. “We being treated as criminals by the civic body officials as the bureaucracy are creating unnecessary obstacles in conversion of the domestic property in to commercial as files are pending with the civic body from last many years due to the reasons best known to them.
In retaliation to traders’ allegation, additional cantonment executive officer (ACEO) Ghulam Sabir Basra has termed the trader union as un-legitimate body. Flanked with secretary CBW, Kamran Sahi, he was of the view that the so-called representatives of the trader’s community are unregistered with the concerned labour and trader bodies. Mr Sabir was of the view that as many as 423 residential premises are identified which are illegally utilized for commercial purposes evading taxes and loss to national kitty in which as many as 118 were sealed while action is being taken rest of the properties. He informed the media that residential properties are being illegally used for commercial purposes including schools, colleges, academies, shops. Markets, hospitals and beauty parlors are established while the trade unions are encouraging people to break the law instead of fulfilling their responsibilities. He added that since 2018, these properties owners have asked to legalize the states of their respective properties but they are paying no heed to the several notices issued to them. “Those who challenging the writ of the government would be dealt as per law”. He vowed in response to a question as the trader community has announced to protest over the isue. Mr Sabir was of the view that the civic body doors are open for the trader community and they would be facilitated for conversion of their residential property in to commercial.
