All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), KP on Sunday demanded the nomination of the caretaker chairman of the central association from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Sindh-Balochistan Zones to run the affairs of the body. According to a spokesman of APTMA KP chapter after the suspension of the election process and operation of the executive committee, the selection of the caretaker committee is required to run the day-to-day affairs of the association.
The proposed caretaker committee, the spokesman said, should be comprised of at least one representative from each zone of the association while either the representative of KP Zone or Sindh-Balochistan Zone should be made chairman of the said panel.
"The representative of the particular dominant group from Punjab Zone is being elected as chairman for the last three consecutive years. Instead of a group comprising of 20 members, opportunity should also be given to Faisalabad and Multan," added the spokesman. He said that due to the indifferent attitude of a group from Punjab, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of APTMA held in Lahore on Saturday (September 29, 2018) had received lukewarm response from the members. The Principal Office at Karachi and zonal office Peshawar and Sub-Office at Multan as well as Liaison Office, at Islamabad though have had made arrangements for participation in the AGM through video link. But neither any member at these offices arrived to participate, nor they were given connectivity with the Lahore Office.
The APTMA Zonal Offices, particularly KP Zone is complaining of the indifferent attitude of a powerful lobby, which deprives small provinces of their due rights in the association.
APTMA KP Zone has condemned that last year, the lobby had deprived them of their turn to elect its chairman. However, the usurping of their rights did not stop there and for the coming year 2018-19, the nomination of their both representatives were rejected by the election commission that lacks members from KP Zone.
For bringing an end to the injustices, Ahmad Kuli Khan and Afan Aziz even moved Peshawar High Court (PHC), which after hearing the petition had ordered the suspension of the annual elections and as well as the operation of the executive committee of the association.
But, despite the directive, the Caretaker Executive Committee and its chairman convened the AGM to declare result of executive committee for the year 2018-19, which was not liked by the members of the association and observed unannounced boycott of the meeting. The constitution of the caretaker committee, with a chairman from Punjab has once again deprived KP Zone of its right to elect its representative as chairman. According to rules the post of the caretaker chairman was the right of the KP Zone, but Punjab was given the caretaker chairmanship for second consecutive year.