Lahore - As the campaign for the LCCI elections for 2014 is in full swing, around 41 candidates are in run for 7 Corporate Class, 8 Associate Class seats and 1 reserved for women for the LCCI elections. The Chamber has announced that elections for Corporate and Associate Class will be held on September 22 and 23 respectively. Election of office-bearers will be held on September 28 while final results will be announced on September 30 at the annual general meeting.
Two major groups including PIAF-Founders Alliance, the ruling group, and the Progressive & Customs Association Alliance have speeded up the election drive, visiting different major markets, bazaars and trade centers to convince the voters. Market sources said that 2014 proved to be very tough polls, as for the first time a major alliance has been made by the opponents of the ruling PIAF-Founders. However, winning position of the ruling group will continue.
Around 16 people filed their nomination papers for corporate class, 44 people filed nomination papers for associate class and 3 women filed nomination papers for one seat reserved for women. 3 people withdrew their papers from corporate class, 20 people withdrew from associate class.
According to final list of candidates, Mian Nauman Kabir, Abdul Basit, Nadir Kamal Osman, Shehzad Ahmed, Shahzad Waheed, Qurat ul Ain Irfan, Kamal Mahmood Amjad Mian, Khalid Usman, Dr. Riaz Ahmed, Sanaullah Choudhry, Syed Hasan Raza, Muhammad Riaz ul Hassan, Akhlaq Ahmad and Naeem Anwar are in the run for 7 corporate class seats. While, Nasir Saeed Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi, Khurram Lodhi, Raja Adeel Ashfaq, Rizwan Akhtar, Asad Noor Pugganwala, Waqar Ahmed Min, Sh. Mohammad Fayyaz Ahmed, Amjad Chaudhry, Abdul Wadoon Alvi, Tahir Malik, Zafar Ahmed, Muhammad Khalid, Muhammad Ejaz, Sajid Aziz Meer, Zafar Ahmad Kamal, Raja Hassan Akhtar, Kamran Butt, Muhammad Azeem, Muhammad Faizal Mustafa Butt, Muhammad Akram, Akif Bajwa, Haider Saleem and Rashid Raza Khan will be contesting for 8 associate class seats. Tanzila Yousaf, Saeeda Nazar and Mussarat Nawaz will contest on one seat reserved for women. Different city markets including Ferozrpur Road Marble Market, Anjuman e Tajran Ferozepur Road and Mall Road Traders Association have announced to support PIAF-Founders Alliance in the LCCI elections. Chairman of Marble Market Mahboob Sirky and Chairman Mall Road Traders Association Raja Hamid Riaz give receptions in honor of PIAF-Founders Alliance Candidates for Associate Class. They announced to support the Alliance candidates in the larger interest of business community. The Alliance leaders Mian Anjum Nisar and Sheikh Arshad said that PIAF-Founders Alliance would continue to serve the business community in the larger interest of economy.
Anjuman-e-Tajiran Shahalam Market Boards, Urdu Bazar and Brandreth Road extended a rousing welcome to the candidates of the Progressive & Customs Association Alliance, proving their full support for them. Progressive & Customs Association Alliance President Amjad Chaudhry said that politics of reconciliation established few families on chamber but now a true leadership has emerged to safeguard the rights of the traders. This leadership will get the chamber rid of Qabza mafia, he added. He added that now all traders are unanimous that Progressive and Customs Association Alliance truly deserve votes of the business community.
Shahalam Market Tajir Board’s Patron in Chief Khushnood ul Hassan, General Secretary Rana Nisar and President Malik Sabir addressed on the occasion.