KARACHI: Expressing deep frustration and alarm over the Presidential Ordinance introducing SRO 175, trader representatives from across Pakistan strongly condemned the measure in an emergency meeting held here on Tuesday.
Organised by the All City Traders Ittehad Association, the gathering marked a unified and forceful rejection of the ordinance, which businessmen described as a "draconian law" that grants unchecked powers to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Participants voiced grave concerns that SRO 175 would lead to the misuse of authority by tax officials, disrupt commercial activity, and violate fundamental business rights. In response, trader leaders issued a 15-day ultimatum demanding the immediate withdrawal of the ordinance, warning of escalating protests and a nationwide shutdown if their demands are not met.
The meeting, held at a local hall, featured physical participation from local trader leaders and video-link attendance by representatives from across the country.
Sharjeel Goplani, Patron-in-Chief of the All City Traders Ittehad Association, provided an in-depth critique of the ordinance, calling it economically destructive and constitutionally questionable. He warned that the law empowers the FBR to operate without oversight, posing a serious threat to both businesses and the broader economy.
Among the key attendees were Atiq Mir, Hakeem Shah, Minhaj Gulfam, Zahid Amin, Jameel Paracha, Waqas Azim, Rana Rais, Rana Waheed, Muhammad Ahmed Shamsi, Yaqoob Bali, Nasir Makani, Ejaz Bhatti, Chaudhry Ayub, Syed Muhammad Saeed, Aslam Parvez, Muhammad Zaki, Haseeb Akhlaq, Tayyab Siddiqui, Muhammad Ismail Lalpuriya, Maqsood Faraz, Shakir Fancy, Arshad Khan, Asif Gulfam, and others.
Via video link, the meeting was joined by Ajmal Baloch (President, Anjuman Tajiran Pakistan), Kashif Chaudhry (President, Tanzeem Tajiran Pakistan), Abdul Rahim Kakar from Quetta, and Sindh-based leaders Ameen Memon and Haroon Memon.
Traders unanimously declared SRO 175 a black law and announced the launch of the “Save the Economy Movement.” They vowed to resist the ordinance through organized civil disobedience. Measures include barring FBR teams from entering marketplaces, boycotting and besieging banks that release funds without account holder consent, and surrounding FBR offices nationwide.
If the government fails to respond within the deadline, traders warned of countrywide strikes and potential demonstrations at FBR headquarters and Parliament. “There is complete national unity among traders on this issue,” the association’s spokesperson affirmed in the joint declaration.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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