With the annual election of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) is nearing, the ruling Businessmen Panel (BP), led by Tariq Sayeed, has nominated Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, son-in-law of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, as its presidential candidate in the federation's election.
Businessmen Forum (BF), led by Senator Ilyas Bilour, is yet to announce its candidate for the top slot of the federation. The BP and BF are contesting against each other in FPCCI elections for years. However, BP won the last four FPCCI elections in a row. The two groups have sour history of election. BF boycotted FPCCI election more than once in the past and sometime moved Director Trade Organisations (DTO) of the Commerce Ministry against the BP's electoral victory.
In the sitting lot, BP has 98 percent seats in FPCCI and its incumbent president, Sultan Chawla comes from Karachi. Since FPCCI's top man for each tenure comes from different province (region) on rotation basis, its KP's turn now. BP's winning streak in FPCCI elections made it more popular to take more seats in coming elections in the last four tenures. FPCCI, being an apex body of the businessmen community, plays a key role in economic policy-making. It is difficult for any government to sideline or ignore FPCCI in budget making or any other economic policy-making.
FPCCI has a board with 105 representatives from chambers and trade associations of the country. The nominees of the chambers and trade association vote for FPCCI office-bearers for a 2-year term. Senator Haji Ghulam Ali hails from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) and his name for BP's candidate was presented by provincial body of BP in its general body meeting held in Karachi with Tariq Sayeed in the chair. The group leadership from all the provinces approved Ghulam Ali's nomination with consensus for FPCCI election scheduled to be held on December 17.
Addressing the meeting, Tariq Sayeed, Co-chairman Iftikhar Ali Malik, sitting FPCCI President Sultan Chawla and others expressed satisfaction over the performance of its sitting office-bearers and claimed that their group would sweep the upcoming FPCCI election.
The FPCCI general body comprising 156 members will elect a managing committee of 102 members. The managing committee member will elect 7 Vice Presidents on December 17, who will, in the same evening, vote to elect FPCCI President for a 2-year term.