Islamabad,31 July, 2026 (Ghufran): Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan has reaffirmed the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring free, fair, transparent, and impartial elections for trade bodies across the country. Addressing a media briefing in Islamabad, the Minister announced that, for the first time, a real-time digital dashboard will be established to monitor the election process. A comprehensive digital system will also be introduced to enhance transparency and efficiency in trade bodies’ elections. Under the new mechanism, the election schedule, voter lists, and election results will be made available online, ensuring easy public access and greater accountability throughout the electoral process.Director General Trade Organizations (DGTO), Bilal Khan Pasha, briefed the media on the arrangements being made to ensure transparent elections. He informed that the election process for trade bodies has already commenced and that the final voter lists will be published in accordance with the relevant legal provisions.
The Commerce Minister further announced that independent observers will monitor the elections for the first time. Officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), and State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan will serve as election observers to strengthen the credibility of the process. He added that enhanced security and administrative arrangements would be ensured at major polling stations to facilitate smooth and peaceful polling. Jam Kamal Khan expressed confidence that a transparent electoral process would significantly reduce disputes and election-related appeals while strengthening the governance of trade organizations.The Minister informed that elections for Chambers of Commerce and Trade Associations will be completed by 30 September 2026, while elections for the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) will commence from 1 October 2026. A total of 320 Trade Organizations across Pakistan are scheduled to hold elections this year. The Federal Minister directed the Director General Trade Organizations (DGTO) to ensure complete digitization of the electoral process and reiterated that the Ministry of Commerce would provide every possible support to conduct transparent, impartial, and credible elections nationwide.