ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: Senior civil judge Arshad Ali on Monday vacated the stay order obtained by the occupants of an under- construction CDA flower market at F-10 Markaz.

According to sources, the authority has now decided to take possession of the market so that the shops can be allotted to genuine flower sellers.

The Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) will take charge of the market, which was reportedly occupied without the CDA’s approval on September 23, 2002.

The occupants of the market had obtained a stay order from a local court to avoid any possible action against them. The sources said some DMA officials were using delaying tactics in taking possession of the market, providing a chance to the occupants to go for appeal in higher court.

Some seven flower shops were being constructed by the CDA at the F-10 Markaz to accommodate those flower sellers who had been running their business on road-side in the area since 1998.

These flowers sellers had been permitted by the authority in writing to continue working in the area on temporary basis. They were assured by the CDA that they would be accommodated in the flower market.

However, former president of traders association, F-10 Markaz, Malik Zahoor, and his friend, Saif Ullah, allegedly managed to stop the construction work and occupied all under- construction shops, some flower sellers told Dawn.

Flowers Sellers Union (FSU) president Mohammad Ashraf said Mr Zahoor and his friend had organized an inauguration ceremony of the flower without informing the CDA.

When contacted, a CDA official confirmed that the authority had not been informed about the inauguration of the flower market.

“There is a proper procedure for allotment of CDA shops, which has not been adopted in this case,” he said.

Some flowers sellers, who had been running their business at F-10 Markaz with the CDA’s permission, said the people who had occupied the flower market shops were not members of the FSU.

On the other hand, the flower-sellers who had occupied the shops, claimed that they were also running their businesses in the area for the last many years. They further claimed that the CDA officials concerned had given them verbal permission to start business in the flower market.

However, a CDA official rejected the claim of the occupants, saying the authority could not allow anyone to run their business in an under-construction market.