Formation of multiple chambers in Karachi: KCCI irked by ‘cold' response from Senate body
ISLAMABAD: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) is facing a potential erosion of its influence in government policymaking and within the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), following a cold response from the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce to its leadership's recent appeal.
On June 11, 2025, KCCI President Jawed Bilwani and President of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Junaid Makda, appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce — chaired by Senator Anusha Rahman — at the behest of Senator Saleem Mandviwala, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and a member of the Commerce Committee. Their aim was to convince the committee that the proposed formation of district-wise chambers in Karachi would compromise the performance and unity of existing chambers.
The KCCI leadership informed the committee that they had already submitted an application to the secretary Commerce objecting to actions initiated by the Director General of Trade Organizations (DGTO). However, the chairperson criticized the delegation for raising an issue already under judicial review and made it clear that the committee could not intervene in internal organizational matters. She subsequently announced that the Committee would discontinue proceedings on this issue.
During the session, the secretary Commerce and DGTO explained the rationale behind initiating the process for establishing chambers in each of Karachi's districts.
In response, Junaid Makda argued that KCCI had not been given a fair hearing on the matter since 2009. 'If we're not allowed to present our case, where else can we go?' he asked — prompting surprise from the secretary Commerce, who admitted that stakeholders should ideally have been consulted before Parliament passed the relevant legislation.
On May 15, 2025, the DGTO issued a letter to three district chambers — Karachi Central, Karachi Malir, and Karachi Korangi — stating that their applications submitted in 2021 for the establishment of new chambers were still under active consideration. The regulator emphasized that the applications are being processed under the Trade Organizations Act, 2013, and the corresponding rules, subject to all necessary verification and eligibility checks.
DGTO Bilal Khan Pasha further disclosed that legal representatives of the proposed district chambers have threatened legal action should their applications continue to face delays. He also noted that KCCI was given an opportunity to submit comments or appear before the regulator but did not do so.
In a letter dated June 4, 2025, KCCI President Jawed Bilwani and Businessmen Group Chairman Zubair Motiwala wrote to Senator Saleem Mandviwala arguing against the formation of multiple chambers in Karachi. They maintained that the city, with its seven districts, already has robust and dynamic industrial town associations.
'Karachi is too large, too vital, and too interconnected to be fragmented into smaller representative units,' the letter read, warning that such fragmentation would dilute the business community's collective voice and undermine the effectiveness of economic policymaking.
The DGTO has indicated that a final decision on the pending applications is expected in the coming days.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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