Tale of two factions: HCCI sealed after competing groups fight
A week after the Sindh High Court stayed the inter-body elections of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), the district administration was forced to seal the trading union’s secretariat on Monday after hostilities between two competing factions escalated.
The physical altercation between members of the outgoing Tajir Dost panel and the Businessmen panel took place after the latter “elected” Nadeem Siddiqui as convener of an interim setup. He was tasked with looking after the affairs of the traders union until the court ordered fresh elections.
The HCCI is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.
Siddiqui claimed that HCCI’s constitution did not allow office bearers to continue their job after their specified term had lapsed. “The present body had to be replaced by a new one last week. But that could not happen due to the court’s stay [order],” he said while talking to media personnel.
HCCI members elect a president, a senior vice president and a vice president every year. Around 12 members of the body’s corporate class and 12 from the associate class cast their votes for senior management.
Siddiqui said that according to the chamber’s constitution, corporate and associate class members whose tenures had not expired can elect a convener. “I obtained eight of the 12 votes [cast].”
The Tajir Dost panel, however, contested Siddique’s claims. Outgoing president of HCCI, Seth Goharullah, said at a press conference that the Companies Ordinance of 1984 allowed him to continue working until a new president was elected. “The directors so retiring shall continue to perform their functions until their successors are elected,” he read from section 177 of the ordinance.
Zulfiqar Ali Chauhan, who contested for an associate seat, said that the voters list had not been updated for this year’s elections. “We are using the voter’s list from 2011.” Nearly 700 new members will be eligible to vote in 2013, added Chauhan.
Police and deputy commissioner Agha Shahnawaz Babur reached the spot to bring the situation under control.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2012.
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