Proposed Amendments to Trade Organizations Rules 2013 Termed Economic Suicide; Government Given Ultimatum to Withdraw Bill
Staff Reporter
Peshawar:
Like other cities across the country, the trader community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken to strong protest against the proposed amendments to the Trade Organizations Rules 2013 and the possible abolition of district chambers. The amendment bill presented in the National Assembly by Farooq Sattar has been outright rejected by traders, who described it as economic suicide and tantamount to the exploitation of small businesses.
In a joint statement, office-bearers of the Traders Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries said that the attempt to replace the word “District” with “City” is in fact a calculated move to eliminate traders from remote areas as well as women’s chambers.
President of Traders Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Malik Mehr Elahi, President of Peshawar Chamber Shakeel Ahmad Khan Saraf, Senior Vice President Haji Talai Muhammad, Vice President Malik Zohaib Arif, and spokesperson Shehzad Ahmad Siddiqui strongly condemned the proposed bill, stating that the amendment is contrary to ground realities and is aimed at dismantling effective representation of traders, industrialists, and small business owners at the district level.
They said that abolishing district-wise chambers would silence traders from remote districts across the province, including Peshawar, and leave them dependent on large city chambers for the resolution of their issues. This, they warned, would not only disturb the balance of representation but also severely hamper business activities.
According to the trader leaders, over the past decade more than 30 women’s district chambers and over 80 district chambers overall have been established across the country, playing a significant role in strengthening the economy through self-help initiatives. If the proposed bill is passed, licenses of approximately 130 district chambers would automatically be revoked, nullifying years of hard work.
They further stated that while the MQM speaks of devolving powers to the grassroots level, it is simultaneously seeking to abolish district chambers and centralize authority in a few major cities — a move that contradicts its own stated vision.
The trader leaders demanded that the federal government and the relevant standing committee immediately withdraw the controversial amendment bill. Otherwise, they warned, a nationwide protest movement would be launched in collaboration with the broader business community, as this is not merely an issue for one city but concerns the entire economy of Pakistan and the survival of small traders.
