By Moin Ullah Shah
KARACHI: Business leaders warned on Wednesday that proposed changes to the law governing chambers of commerce could weaken the representation of small and medium-sized traders and undermine local economic voices.
Speaking at the Karachi Press Club, Sharjeel Goplani, leader of the Businessmen Alliance and patron-in-chief of the All City Tajir Ittehad Association, said the bill—linked to a proposed amendment to the DGTO law presented by MQM-P MNA Dr Farooq Sattar—had caused deep concern within the trading community.
Goplani said the plan to shift chambers from a district-based system to a purely city-based model ignored ground realities. He warned it threatened the role of district chambers in highlighting local business issues. “These chambers provide direct access for traders, industrialists, and small entrepreneurs to relevant forums and help resolve problems at the grassroots level,” he said.
Alliance chairman Asif Siddiqui added that abolishing district chambers would weaken the voice of traders in remote areas. It would also place an additional burden on large urban chambers, disturbing the balance of representation. Small and medium-sized businesses, he said, would find it harder to engage with policy and government authorities.
Goplani said nearly 100 district chambers currently operate across Pakistan, facilitating business activity for men and women alike. Curtailing their powers, he warned, would affect member representation and force businesses into complex relicensing and registration processes, harming the business climate.
He argued that such a move would violate constitutional guarantees of freedom of association and trade, as well as the principle of devolving authority to local levels. Leaders also alleged that a group controlling the Karachi Chamber was using political influence to obstruct the establishment of district chambers in the city.
They called for full consultation with trader organizations and other stakeholders before any legislation is enacted. They urged the business community to remain united and warned that, if the bill was not withdrawn, a future course of action would be announced.
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