Prominent industrialist, Riaz Arshad was elected unopposed as president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), while Zulfikar Ali Khan and Faiz Mohammad Faizi were elected unopposed as vice presidents of the chamber for the year 2009-10. This was announced at a meeting of the election commission here on Friday with chairman, Sufi Bashir Ahmad Durrani in the chair.
Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, and Altaf Baig also attended the meeting. "No one filed nominations against Riaz Arshad, Zulfikar Ali Khan and Faiz Mohammad Faizi, therefore, the commission announced their unopposed election," said the election commission in its announcement. The newly elected president and vice presidents of the SCCI would take charge of their offices from October 1, 2009.
The elections of Sarhad Chamber have been swept by the Businessman Forum as all its candidates on Corporate Group, Associate Group, Town Association and Women reserve seats have been elected. The newly elected executive members would also take charge of their responsibility from October 1, 2009. Earlier, a meeting of the executive committee of the Sarhad Chamber was held with president, Sharafat Ali Mubarak in the chair.
The meeting retired four each executive members of corporate and associate groups and one each of town and women reserve seats. Meanwhile, the Sarhad Chamber has welcomed the constitution of the National Finance Commission (NFC) and demanded the release of outstanding Rs 110 billion in head of hydropower generation to the province.
SCCI President, Sharafat Ali Mubarak, at a press conference here at the Chamber House, said the NWFP had played the role of a frontline province in the war on terror that had resulted in the destruction of industrial units. He said out of 2,200 units presently only 554 units were running, while the situation had brought 42 other units on the verge of closure.
He called for spending 75 percent of the 1.5 billion dollar annual US aid to Pakistan in the province. The SCCI chief reiterated his demand for declaring the NWFP a war affected area and announcement of a special package including exemptions in different taxes, cut in electricity and gas tariffs for general public and trading community and up-gradation of industrial estates.
Sharafat claimed other provinces were using 11,762 cusecs water from the share of the NWFP and owe Rs 80 billion in this head. He demanded immediate payment of the amount to the province. He also demanded the inclusion of wheat and flour in the federal divisible pool, increases in the profit of electricity and their payment in single instalment.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association (APCEA), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi has congratulated the newly elected executive members of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI). Sarhadi expressed the hope that the newly elected executive members and office bearers would utilise all their energies for mitigation of the problems and grievances of traders and industrialists of the province.