The High Court of Islamabad ordered the authorities to tackle the grievances of street vendors after having filed a request against the referral of their stands.
Judge Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan heard the case, with defenders Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha representing the sellers.
The petitioners alleged that the sellers operating with valid licenses were forcibly removed from their locations by the authorities.
During the hearing, the court criticized the lack of coordination between the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), the capital Development Authority (CDA) and the traffic police.
“This is not a legal question but a question of coordination,” said judge Khan.
The court asked why the small sellers, who gain meager income, had to approach the court for their rights.
He expressed his concern about the delay in issuing licenses, with requests pending for two years.
Lawyer Imaan Mazari presented video evidence showing that street vendors were deleted despite permits.
She allegedly alleged that the authorities demanded bribes and targeted those who refused to pay.
The deputy commissioner told court that measures had only been taken against the sellers without license.
However, the court observed that the authorities had not acted on the requests of the sellers for two years.
The court asked the CDA, the MCI and the traffic police to coordinate and solve the problem.
He ordered the authorities to present a resolution plan at the next hearing, scheduled for a week later.
