By A Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Aug 16: The traders and business community of the federal capital have failed to devise a collective strategy to provide aid to the flood victims.

The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Monday decided to sponsor a village comprising at least 100 houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the displaced people.

The decision was taken after an ICCI delegation visited some flood-hit areas of the province. The construction of 100 kutcha houses will be carried out by the ICCI through donations from its members.

In a meeting at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry offices the other day, members of the business community agreed to launch a contact drive among the traders to obtain donations for the relief activity.

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) recently decided that the business community would wholeheartedly contribute towards the relief activities.

A fund has also been established under senior member FPCCI, Siddique Sheikh.

However, the ICCI failed to muster support from the business community of the federal capital.

ICCI President Zahid Maqbool recently suggested that businessmen should not perform Umrah this year and contribute the amount to the flood relief.

“Most of the people in the business community go to Umrah with families in Ramazan every year,” Mr Maqbool said, adding: “I suggest that this year we should rather cancel the programme and contribute to the flood victims' relief efforts.”

However, his call failed to attract majority of the business tycoons leading to a visible rift among the business community on the issue.

Chairman Traders Welfare Association Ajmal Baloch said leaders of the business community are planning long-term rehabilitation efforts but people are dying now.

“My own village in Khushab district is inundated but that does not stop me from doing something here,” Mr Baloch said. “We simply cook 20-25 Degs at Aabpara and send it to the affected people in Nowshera.”

He said when people see things being done, they start contributing and this is not a time for planning.

Meanwhile, vice-president National Traders Alliance Malik Sohail regretted that rich business persons in Islamabad had not come forward to help the flood victims.

Recently, the traders of Blue Area led by Malik Sohail collected over Rs2 million for the flood victims at a camp established by the local administration.

“I know many people in Islamabad are earning up to Rs50 million per month from rentals on property,” Malik Sohail said: “But unfortunately these big shots have not done anything significant.”