Director Trade Organisation (DTO) Haider Raza on Friday declared the All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association (Apcea) annual elections 2006-07 scheduled on August 30 as null and void.
The DTO announced this decision on the complaint lodged by Jasmhid Khan, head of All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association (Aini Group) through Shumail Ahmad Butt advocate on July 3, 2006 and also appointed section officer of the ministry of commerce as inquiry officer to prove irregularities in the membership of the association.
The complainants have contended that the membership of the association required that the applicant must be the exporter of the precious and semi-precious stone, while the ruling group of Apcea has violated the rules and regulations and had registered dozens of their associates as members having no concern with the business of the precious and semi-precious stones.
The Founder Group was represented by Khalid Sultan Khawaja, Mazhar-ul-Haq and Secretary Apcea Zafar Iqbal Shahid, but they failed in presenting any proof to quell the impression of the fake membership. After hearing both groups, DTO declared the Apcea elections scheduled for August 30 as null and void and appointed an investigation officer to probe into the matter of the irregularities in the membership. The investigation officer would visit Apcea Secretariat on August 10 and would present the report in the court of DTO.