United Business Group (UBG) will field educated, dedicated and best candidates having highest degree of integrity especially youth on merit with consensus in forthcoming annual elections of Federation of Pakistan Chambers Of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
The UBG is the largest alliance of chambers in the country enjoying over 90 percent overwhelming majority in FPCCI, the Group Chairman Iftikhar Ali Malik expressed these views while talking to commerce reporters here on Tuesday. He said the names of new candidates for various positions in the chambers would be announced with consensus in true democratic manner.
He said that young talented entrepreneurs with inherited spirit to promote trade, serve the country and help strengthen the national economy would be fully encouraged while awarding the tickets. A high-level committee comprising senior trade leaders from across the country including S.M. Munir, Chief Executive Pakistan Trade Development Authority would finalise nominees with consensus on merit, keeping in view their professional standing in private sector and contribution towards national development, he maintained.
Before giving final shape to the list, he mentioned, all senior local trade leaders throughout the country would also be taken into confidence. He said no body would be allowed to dent unity of alliance or sabotage transparent and democratic process of the chamber polls, adding that smooth transfer of power in democratic ways would be ensured in chamber.
To a question, he said that in recent elections of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the Founder-PIAF candidates set a new record of securing the highest number of votes. He hoped that all UBG candidates in forthcoming annual election of FPCCI would enjoy landslide victory.
The UBG Chairman claimed, "We are proud that our past Presidents of FPCCI especially S. M. Muneer, Muhammad Addres and myself including outgoing President Abdul Rauf Alam did not avail even a single penny benefit, perks and package of facilities, and spent all expenses from their own pockets on boarding, lodging and foreign travelling." Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq, who was also present on the occasion, assured Malik of supporting UBG candidates in the FPCCI elections.