PESHAWAR, Oct 10: The Ministry of Commerce has issued a show-cause notice to local industrialists’ association for being not registered under newly-promulgated Trade Organisations Ordinance, 2007.

A notice issued by the Director-General of Trade Organisations to Industrialists’ Association of Peshawar (IAP), a few days back, said the body was operating as trade organisation despite the fact that it had not been issued licence by the federal government to operate as a representative body.

This act of the association, the notice said, was a violation of Section 5(3) of the Trade Organisations Ordinance, 2007.

This section reads: “No trade organisation other than a licensed and registered trade organisation shall use its name or title the word ‘Federation’ or ‘Chamber’ or ‘Association’ except an existing trade organisation which has applied for grant of licence under this ordinance.”

The IAP, through its secretary, has been warned that the violation of the said provision of law constitutes offence and attracts penalty under Section 25 of the said ordinance.

The association has been advised to clarify its position within 15 days otherwise the matter will be proceeded ex-parte.

When contacted, Numan Wazir, President of the IAP, said that officially they had not received any show-cause notice. He, however, said that their organisation was a body registered under Societies’ Registration Act, 1860.

He said the IAP was mainly working for the welfare and resolution of problems of the industrialists based in Peshawar and there was no need for registering it under any federal government law.