By Hafeez Khan
Islamabad: What was billed as a flagship beautification project in collaboration with the friendly country, Azerbaijan has turned into a prolonged ordeal for traders at Islamabad’s Melody Food Park, where unfinished and poor construction,low quality materials,unsafe walkways, and massive business losses have become the new reality.
Launched in July 2024 under a partnership between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the city of Baku, the project earmarked PKR 10 billion for the uplift of four sites in the capital — including Srinagar Highway, Shakarparian, Saidpur Village, and Melody Market. One year later, traders say their livelihoods are under threat while the site resembles more of a demolition zone than a revitalized public space.
“Our business is down by 60 to 70 percent. Families and tourists have stopped coming. We’re surrounded by heaps of construction debris, dismantled pavements, and open manholes,” said Azher Iqbal, President of the Traders Union of Melody Market.
The once-vibrant market, known for its food outlets and cultural buzz, has seen a sharp decline in footfall due to ongoing construction. Iqbal alleges that the CDA initiated work without consulting traders, abruptly removing the old pavement and tough tiles and leaving the area exposed to dust, mud, and standing water during rains.
“After the first rain, the entire market turned into a muddy trap. People can’t walk. Some pedestrians even fell into open manholes. There’s no safety plan in place,” he added.
Another trader, Ali Waqar, who runs a photocopying shop, pointed to the poor quality of installation work carried out under the uplift plan.
“They replaced our rolling shutter, and it broke on the third day. The one we had before worked flawlessly for forty years. It’s not beautification — it’s reckless destruction,” he said.
Despite repeated appeals, traders say the CDA has not provided any clear deadline for project completion nor explained the cause of the delay. The disruption has not only affected local businesses but also discouraged family visits and domestic tourism — key elements of the market’s livelihood.
The Melody Market uplift, once portrayed as a symbol of urban renewal through international collaboration, now stands as a case study in poor planning, lack of public consultation, and administrative indifference. For traders and residents, the promise of progress has come at a heavy price.(To be continued )
More details regarding misappropriation,malpractices in the mega foreign funded projects by CDA will be publish soon.
