The affiliation of Azad Kashmir Chambers of Commerce and Industry (AKCCI) with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has been challenged.
Siraj Kasam Teli, leader of the powerful Businessmen Group (BMG), which holds a complete sway over the affairs of the country's leading Chamber, ie Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), has said that not only the membership of the AKCCI, but that of all the fake and bogus associations and chambers be suspended forthwith.
He questioned the validity of the AKCCI's membership of the FPCCI on the ground that Azad Kashmir not only had its own flag, but was a separate state, having its own President and Prime Minister.
In an interview with Business Recorder here on Monday, he demanded of the President of Pakistan, Prime Minister and Commerce Minister to take note of this anomaly, which jeopardised the genuine representation and good governance in the apex trade body of the country.
He said that since the AKCCI's membership of the FPCCI was unlawful, the person who had been elected President of the FPCCI on the basis of his membership of the AKCCI representing that the chamber was also unlawful.
He said that there were only four federating units and the government of Azad Kashmir was totally separate. Its working was independent and so is its constitution. The government of Azad Kashmir did not function under the constitution of Pakistan. In this situation, the FPCCI's membership of any chamber from Azad Kashmir was unlawful.
The AKCCI could not be treated as part of the FPCCI, Teli said, and demanded of the President, Prime Minister and the Commerce Minister that only the genuine chambers and associations, functioning under the constitution and governed by the trade laws of the country, be allowed to function and retain their membership of the FPCCI and the membership of the AKCCI be suspended.
He also demanded issuance of clear instructions. He said that the government of Azad Kashmir, neither affixed or suffixed the word Pakistan nor did it use the same in its functioning because only the words Azad Kashmir were written in their constitution. It was, therefore, incumbent on the Ministry of Commerce under the Trade Organisations Ordinance (TOO) 1961 that the membership of the AKCCI be deleted from the records of the FPCCI.
Further, the President and other office bearers, who got themselves elected on the basis of membership of such bodies, be stopped from performing their functions.
The leader of BGM Group also demanded that the FPCCI be cleansed of all sorts of politics, chambers and associations existing on that basis be struck off and the TOO should be redrafted in consultation with genuine businessmen and industrialists and enforced as soon as possible. This would throw up right leadership and ensure good governance in the trade bodies, particularly the FPCCI, which is controlled by "phony leadership" at this point of time, he said.
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