'FPCCI election process shall not be suspended': nomination of PPIA should not be rejected: SHC

The Sindh High Court on Monday ordered that the nomination of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Importers Association (PPIA) should not be rejected on the basis of impugned letter of Directorate of Trade Organisation and that the FPCCI election process shall not be suspended.
The association filed a petition in the SHC through Abid S Zuberi, Haseeb Jamail and Umer Lakhani advocates challenging the impugned letter issued by the DTO. In the order it was noted that the association is a registered trade organisation, duly registered under the requisite ordinance and its nominee intends to participate in the forthcoming elections of FPCCI, process of which commenced in November 2008 and elections are to be held on January 30, 2009.
The final voter list has been prepared and the association is shown at Sr. No 079 on the voter list. According to the election schedule, November 26 is the date on which nominations for office-bearers of the association are to be filed.
However, the petitioner has received a notice from the government of Pakistan, Directorate of Trade Organisation calling upon it to submit certain information, such as copies of utility bills, electricity, gas charges, telephone bills of the association for the last one year, lease agreement of the regional office, etc, and that in case of failure to furnish such information by January 26, the petitioners will not be allowed to vote and contest the forthcoming elections, to be held on January 30, 2009.
The high court in its order issued notice for January 28, 2009. In the meantime, it directed that the nominations will not be rejected on the basis of impugned letter dated January 22, 2009 issued by the Government of Pakistan, Directorate of Trade Organisation and that the election process shall not be suspended.