More delays: Lahore Gymkhana elections put off once again

Polls to take now place on February 8 between 9am and 5pm

LAHORE: The elections for the Lahore Gymkhana’s management committee have been further postponed and will now be held on
February 8 instead of January 28 as announced earlier.

The previous date was announced by the incumbent Committee of Management (CoM) as January 25 but the election commission announced the date as January 28. Objecting to the date announced by the election commission, the contesting candidates of both groups agreed to announce another date and gave suggestions to the election commission.

On Thursday, the date of election was announced for February 8.
The polls would continue from 9am to 5pm.



Justice (retd) Mian Muhammad Akram Baitu, election commission member, told The Express Tribune that the date was changed with the consent of the candidates.

This election, he added, is taking place after three years and from now on the election for the CoM would take place after every three years under the statutory provisions. The elections used to be held on yearly basis.

Akram said following the instructions of the co-operative societies’ registrar, the gymkhana was holding the elections after three years. The Provisions of Company Act applies to the club as it has been registered as a company since 1896.

Two panels are on the run for the CoM seats – one led by Mian Misbahur Rehman, the incumbent chairman, and the other led by Kamran Lashari.

Rehman has wooed support of another panel led by Mian Waqarudin offering him a chance to function as the CoM chairman for one year while for two years Rehman himself would enjoy the slot if they win the elections.

Both groups have announced their panels comprising 12 members each.

The other 11 members in the panel led by Rehman are Mian Waqarudin, Sarmad Nadim, Mian Pervez Bhandara, Sq Ldr (retired) Ihsan Qadir, Javed Nasrullah, Shafqat Rana, Agha Ali Imam, Pervez Bashir Agha, Samiduin, Zahid Nabi Malik and Karamatullah Chaudhry.

Other than Lashari, his panel comprises Shaukat Javed, Samiur Rehman, Khawaja Imran Zubair, Ahsan Saeed Mian, Sameera Maroof, Dr Jawad, Dr Ali Razaq, Dr Atif Kazmi, Moeen, Javed Zahoor and Khalid Rafique.

Taha Mahmood is prominent among the independent candidates contesting the elections. The 10-member group led by Rehman was elected in the previous elections and are contesting again.

Two members of the Lashari group were elected in the previous elections and are participating in the elections again.

Dates of filing or withdrawing nomination papers have already passed and candidates are campaigning through sending SMSs, making telephonic calls, sending letters and visiting homes of the voters.

The total voters of the gymkhana are 5,480. The 12 elected members of the CoM then elect one of their colleagues as the chairman.

Any member who has completed five years as a permanent member is eligible for election and can serve on the CoM for three consecutive terms. In order to conduct the affairs of at the club, the CoM makes rules, sub-rules or by-laws consistent with the Memorandum & Articles of Association of Lahore Gymkhana.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2017.