Islamabad High Court has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to regularize street vendors within two weeks, after a contempt of court case emerged over operations against them despite a standing judicial order.
Justice Inam Amin Minhas heard the petition filed by street vendors. During the hearing, lawyer Iman Mazari argued that the case was earlier supposed to be decided but was later transferred. She said a stay order was already in place, clearly instructing that no vendor should be removed.
She reminded the court that under the Islamabad Local Government Act 2015, licenses were supposed to be issued, and thousands of vendors had already submitted applications to the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).
The government lawyer maintained that vendors were allowed to operate under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). On this, the judge remarked that street vendors are part of society and cannot simply be displaced.
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The court then extended its restraining order against CDA’s operation and instructed the authority to complete the regularization of street vendors within two weeks before adjourning the hearing.
