The lawmakers were informed that the G-10 Ladies Bazaar in Islamabad had been built without permission on the 11th Avenue right of way. Even though over Rs. 70 million was spent on the project, no feasibility assessment or planning was done before building began on the marketplace.
The marketplace was completed but has not opened to the public. The 11th Avenue building project can now get underway, thanks to the CDA’s efforts. A few years ago, the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) allocated Rs. 70 million to launch the Ladies Bazaar in sector G-10. In September of 2021, then-Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed made the announcement to build.
However, the building was completed in February 2022 by MCI’s sports directorate rather than the related directorate. According to reports, even for projects costing billions of rupees, MCI reportedly avoided the tendering procedure in favour of quotations. MNA Shagufta Jumani brought up the problem of the dysfunctional bazaar in the National Assembly.
Ministry reports dysfunctional bazaar
The Ministry of the Interior wrote back to her, telling her that the technical difficulties prevented the bazaar from opening. The ministry reported that Rs. 70.8 million were spent on the construction of the market, which includes 98 stalls, two tuck shops, a children’s play area, and seven restrooms.
Speaking on behalf of the interior ministry, Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan admitted that the previous government started the project without appropriate analysis and preparation.
He emphasised that the bazaar was built on 11th Avenue’s right-of-way without any involvement from the CDA’s planning department. But he promised that after careful research and planning, a new location would be found. He assured them that money had been set aside for the bazaar’s construction and that it would open soon.
The minister further guaranteed that the perpetrators of the financial mismanagement would face consequences. Rohale Asghar, a member of parliament, has also voiced alarm over the project’s lengthy delay and called on the current government to find a solution.
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