A local court here on Wednesday issued a stay order on a petition of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) against the holding of industrial exhibition in the name of Jashn-e-Sarhad at Qayyum Stadium, Peshawar Cantt. The court, through the order of stay, has stopped the secretariat of National Trade Exhibition from holding the event. The SCCI had filed a petition in the court of Civil Judge Amjad Rahim, through Shumail Ahmad Butt, advocate, against the holding of industrial exhibition in the name of Jashn-e-Sarhad.
The trading community of the city, in general, and Peshawar Cantt in particular, have expressed reservations over the holding of the exhibition.
The Sarhad Chamber's counsel, Shumail Ahmad Butt told the court that National Trade Exhibition Secretariat is unlawfully holding the exhibition and using different tactics to delay the case. He took the plea that as the exhibition has yet to start, therefore, before any more legal complications, the court should stay the holding of the exhibition.
The Judge, Amjad Rahim after having a view of the photos of the occasion, and hearing the arguments of the lawyer, issued a stay order in favour of the Sarhad Chamber, and stopped the National Trade Exhibition Secretariat from holding the exhibition.
Meanwhile, President, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) Malik Niaz Ahmad, Senior Vice President, Sharafat Ali Mubarak and Vice President, Zahidullah Shinwari have expressed satisfaction over the issuance of stay by the judiciary to stop the exhibition. In a joint statement, the office bearers of the SCCI had attributed the judicial decision a win of the stand of the trading community.
Meanwhile, Vice President, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), Faiz Rasool Khan has also expressed deep concern over the holding of so-called industrial exhibition in Peshawar and has demanded of the Chief Minister, Akram Khan Durrani to take notice of the fake exhibitions.
He alleged that on one hand substandard products and goods are put on sale in these exhibitions to loot the innocent and unaware consumers, while on the other hand, business of the tax paying traders of the City comes to a standstill.
Faiz Rasool Khan recalled that Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, on a number of occasions, had pledged taking action for closure of these exhibitions. He demanded of the provincial government to close all such industrial exhibitions in the larger interest of the business community of the province.