ISLAMABAD - The Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad has failed to meet a deadline given by the Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed regarding establishment of the first ever women bazaar in Islamabad.  
Sheikh Rasheed had promised to establish a special market for women where they may run their businesses and have their own stalls. He had directed the authorities concerned to complete the project within one-month time-frame.  
The announcement was made by the interior minister while addressing the 12th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) on 29th September, 2021.   
However, even after three months, the said bazaar is yet to be established by the MCI and it seems that the concerned formations don’t take the announcements made by Federal Minister Sheikh Rasheed seriously.  When contacted, Administrator MCI and the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat said that the Directorate of Sports and Culture, MCI is mandated to establish the women bazaar.  He said they are working on it and hopefully the first ever bazaar for women would be completed by the end of January 2022.     
On the other hand, sources informed that the planning permission to establish said bazaar has been issued by the Planning Wing of the Capital Development Authority last week. 
The Planning Wing earmarked an area measuring 8,177 square feet in the right of way of 11th Avenue, near the existing Sunday bazaar, but purely on temporary basis. 
The land is allocated to the Directorate of Sports and Culture while there will be no permanent structure erected on site. The Directorate is bound by the Planning Wing not to lease or sub-lease the said area to anybody and no permanent rights would be created.  
However, as the land is located in the right of way of 11th Avenue therefore the same would be vacated whenever the said avenue would be constructed by CDA. The said bazaar would be first of its kind in Pakistan where all the affairs would be run by women. The stalls would be allocated to women, who could run their businesses easily.