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Islamabad [Pakistan]December 8 (ANI): Pakistani authorities in Islamabad have blocked Jinnah Avenue and Centaurus Mall following an altercation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistani Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.
In a brief video that went viral on social media, Sharif was seen gesturing and asking Elias to retreat to his seat as he was about to wrap up his speech. According to “Pakistan Today”, according to witnesses, after finishing his speech, Sharif ignored Ilyas and hurriedly left the venue. Ilyas tried his best to attract the attention of the Prime Minister.
Dawn traders and PTI leaders claimed that the overnight seizure of the mall was an act of “political revenge”, The Dawn reported.
However, a notice posted outside the mall said: “The premises has been seized due to non-compliant use by order of the CDA (Capital Development Authority) Building Control City Director.”
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Videos circulating on social media showed barbed wire fencing outside the mall, with police vehicles parked nearby.
Ajmal Baloch of the All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran (APAT) Merchants Union led the protest over the closure of the mall president. “Locking up malls is an act of retaliation,” he said.
He further stated that it is simply not right to affect people’s livelihood just for political revenge, and the blockade of shopping malls is clear evidence of “acts of revenge”.
He vowed they would not make the trader community “victims of political revenge”, no matter the cost. “The merchant community in Islamabad stands with the merchants of the Centaurus Mall,” he said, according to Pakistan Today.
According to Pakistan Today, he also added that the lives and livelihoods of businessmen related to the mall will be affected and put many people out of work, so he demanded an immediate solution to the problem.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) issued six notices to the mall between 2014 and 2022 before the closure. The six notices began on March 7, 2014 and the last notice was issued on November 23, 2022, with no warnings received against the alleged “non-compliant use of the building”.
An order, served on Dec. 2, 2022, ordered the closure of the mall for failing to “clear construction violations.” According to Pakistan Today, the notification reads, “Due to continuous non-compliance with construction violations, the Building Control Authority has issued a number of 15-day notices” […] and show reasons […] A sealing order for the subject house/property is hereby issued pursuant to the Islamabad Capital Region Construction Control Regulations 2020 and the terms and conditions of the Allotment/Sale Agreement made under the CDA Regulations 1960. “
“By order of the CDA Building Controlling City Supervisor, the premises has been cordoned off due to non-compliant use,” the final sign posted outside the mall read. Witnesses recorded that a team of Islamabad police and CDA officers had reached the mall and ordered security and mall staff to leave. Video of the incident that emerged on social media showed the spiked objects being placed outside the mall, with police cars parked nearby.
Although, the mall was later unsealed, The Centaurus Mall was unsealed on Tuesday night after union-led protests as traders blocked Jinnah Avenue, warning that if the mall was blocked, they would resulting in a shutdown of the capital. Geo News coverage is not activated. (Arnie)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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