A committee has been constituted to look after the day-to-day affairs of the All Pakistan Gem Merchants and Jewellers Association (APGMJA) by the Director, Trade Organisation (DTO), Ministry of Commerce (MoC) pending adjudication of its election issues. According to a letter, issued by the DTO on March 11, the committee will also dispose of applications of membership of the association and issue recommendatory letters. The committee comprises Ubaidullah Qadri, Raisuddin Shaikh, Abdul Razzak Tahir, Matiullah M.Shaikh, and Mahmood Choksy as members.
The committee has been constituted under Section 9(1) of the Trade Organisations Ordinance (TOO) 1961 and will function under the direct supervision of the DTO till further orders.
In pursuance of the order dated December 8, 2004 of the High Court of Sindh, the controversy regarding the issue of elections of the management of the APGMJA for 2004-05 was to be adjudicated afresh.
In this connection, the APGMJA Secretary was summoned by the DTO on December 21, 2004 along with relevant record, but he did not appear owing to his bad health.
To ascertain the factual position, the matter is now fixed for hearing on March 19 in the office of the DTO, Islamabad.
In a separate letter, written to the APGMJA Secretary, the DTO directed him to attend the hearing and bring with him the relevant record, "failing it will be presumed that you have nothing to say in the matter."
The DTO had taken serious exception to a statement published in February year by someone claiming himself to be the Chairman of the APGMJA.
Since no elected body existed in the APGMJA, the DTO directed the Secretary of the association through a letter on February 28 to "explain how such statements are being issued as purporting Chairman of the APGMJA?" He was asked to reply within three days.