Co-operatives hearing: Registrar withdraws over partiality fears

Accused of staying annual meeting because of the plaintiff.

LAHORE:

The co-operatives registrar has excused himself from hearing a petition challenging the convening of an annual general body meeting of Government Superior Services of Pakistan Cooperative Housing Society Limited (GSSPCHSL) after objections were raised by the respondent over registrar’s association with both the plaintiff and the respondent, The Express Tribune has learnt. 

In a letter to Co-operatives Secretary Khalid Masood, Registrar Muhammad Khan Khcchi has requested that the case be referred to another officer.

The objections were raised by GSSPCHSL President Nazar Mohammad Chohan, in a letter sent to the registrar, on November 15 after the latter issued stay orders against the meeting scheduled for October 25.

In his letter, Chohan said that the registrar was known to have been friends with the plaintiff since their days at the Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan.

Also, he said, that his association with the respondent had been unpleasant for which he alone was to blame.  He said that the registrar’s bias was evident in the hasty manner in which he had granted the stay order without first hearing the respondent.

Secretary Sahbbir, however, expressed ignorance about the matter.

The registrar was not available for his comments.

The agenda of the annual general body meeting included a plan to reclaim society’s land occupied illegally, commissioning an audit of the last three years and the shifting of the society’s office.

Chohan said that the law required a meeting of the general body every calendar year. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2011.