Islamabad’s H-9 Sunday Bazaar traders protest closure, demand reopening

ISLAMABAD: Stallholders at Islamabad’s H-9 Sunday Bazaar protested on Sunday against the market’s closure over fire safety concerns, urging the authorities to enforce safety standards without shutting down the entire market and depriving thousands of people of their livelihoods.

The protesters chanted slogans against the Capital Development Authority (CDA) administration and questioned the decision to close the market in the name of fire safety, arguing that the authorities should address safety shortcomings while allowing business activities to continue.

Around 200 to 250 traders staged a sit-in outside Islamabad’s H-9 Sunday Bazaar, demanding its immediate reopening.

“Fire safety arrangements should be ensured, but the entire market should not be closed,” the stallholders said, adding that the shutdown had halted their daily earnings and left them facing financial difficulties.

They also questioned what they described as an unjustified blanket closure, saying the suspension of business had affected traders who depended on the weekly market to support their families.

The weekly bazaar in G-6 has also been closed, while a police contingent remains deployed outside the H-9 Sunday Bazaar.

The protest comes after the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), through its Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA), ordered the closure of the weekly bazaars in H-9 and G-6 from October 16 until adequate fire prevention measures are in place and clearance is granted by the Capital Development Authority’s Emergency Services.

According to the reported notification, the markets cannot reopen until the required fire safety arrangements have been completed and the relevant authorities issue clearance.

Traders claim safety measures installed

The closure has prompted concern among stallholders, many of whom rely on the weekly markets for their daily income.

Stallholders had approached the market director seeking permission to resume business, saying they had spent their own money on fire prevention and other safety measures.

The traders said approximately 1,700 firefighting devices had been installed, along with fire safety trolleys and signs prohibiting smoking.

They also claimed that 30 security cameras had been installed and around 500 stalls fitted with mesh shutter gates, with work continuing on the remaining stalls.

The claims could not be independently verified. The authorities have maintained that the markets must obtain the required fire safety clearance before reopening.

The stallholders have argued that the administration should inspect the measures already taken and identify any remaining shortcomings rather than keep the entire market closed.

Repeated fires raise safety concerns

The closure follows a major fire at the H-9 Weekly Bazaar in June, when flames spread through Block C, which mainly housed clothing and shoe stalls.

The blaze affected more than 374 stalls out of a total of 2,749, causing substantial financial losses to traders. It was reported as the fifth fire at the market since 2017.

The incident renewed concerns about fire prevention, electrical safety and emergency response arrangements at the crowded market.

An inquiry committee was formed to investigate the June fire, examine the response of emergency services and determine the factors that contributed to the blaze’s spread.

The inquiry identified shortcomings in fire safety arrangements and emergency preparedness. Its recommendations included preventing the overnight storage of goods inside stalls, removing highly flammable tarpaulins, conducting comprehensive safety audits and improving emergency response arrangements.

The recurring incidents have placed the authorities under pressure to improve safety at the markets, while traders have called for measures that would allow them to continue earning a livelihood.

Closure affects shoppers too

The H-9 and G-6 weekly bazaars are among the capital’s major markets for residents seeking relatively affordable groceries, vegetables, clothing and household goods.

Their closure has disrupted business for stallholders and inconvenienced shoppers who rely on the markets for everyday purchases.

The DMA has said the bazaars will reopen once the necessary fire prevention arrangements are completed and clearance is granted by the CDA’s Capital Emergency Services.

No reopening date has been announced yet.