MARDAN  -  The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce (FPCC) Karachi has selected six voters including two females from Mardan district in the provisional voter list for the 2019 election which will be held in December.

The FPCC has released the provisional voter list for the year 2019 election on the federation website page. According to the list chairman public safety commission Mardan Abdul Aziz Khan and Fasal Saleem-ur-Rehman were selected from Mardan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). Haji Wazir Gul and Faqir Mohammad were selected from Mardan Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry while Zahida Iftikhar and Shahziya Sardar was selected from Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WSSI).

It may be noted that MCCI was formally inaugurated in January 21, 1997 in a rented building. The Mardan chamber is included by industrialist and trader groups. Prominent industrialist Haji Naseem Ur Rehman Chief of Saleem Group of Industries has played great role in the establishment of MCCI. He joined hands with well-known traders of Mardan.

Later on Haji Sultan Mohammad Mohmand was elected as its first president. Haji Sultah Mohammad Mohmand is a traders and having arms and ammunition business at Mardan. Fazl Muhammad was appointed Secretary General of MCCI at that time. However later on differences were develop between the industrialist and trader group.  In the ANP led provincial government the former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti has located land for the construction of building for MCCI and also granted funds for the construction of five stories building. However the building isn’t completed so far.

According to Shakeel Ahmed Secretary MCCI said that total membership is 3,000 however 319 members can use their votes. He added that 77 voters belong to industry group while 242 voters are affiliated to traders. Shakeel Ahmed further said that the marbles industry state Mardan has membership but they have no voters. Sources added that due to the differences between the industrialists and the traders of Mardan majority of the election of MCCI become controversial. It may be noted that several committees were established to solve the issues of MCCI but these committees don’t succeeded to address the issues of MCCI.

Recently a committee on the directive of Director General Commerce was established included by Abdul Aziz Khan chairman public safety commission Mardan, JUI-F district general secretary Maulana Amant Shah and Dr. Yousaf.

The committee selected 30 execute members 15 from industry and 15 from trader and later on these selected execute members has elected Zahir Shah president of the MCCI. However later on trader group led by Haji Ihsanullah Bacha rejected the selection of execute members and the election and challenge these election in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

Sources added the Mardan marble industrial zone located near Rashaki is included by several industries but unfortunately the marble industrial zone has no representation in the execute members. The traders and the marble industrial zone claimed that the main issue in the MCCI is voter list and alleged corruption but when the committee organized to solve the MCCI issue. The committee ignored these main issues and due to this reason the issues of MCCI aren’t solved. Like this the women chamber is also facing the same situation. It may be noted that the Small Chamber of Commerce and Industry is also facing the same situation.

Ihsanullah Bacha group has announced his own president for the Small Chamber later on Zahir Shah group announced another president for the same chamber. Due to the alleged difference in the MCCI, Women Chamber and Small Chamber majority of the traders, industrialist of Mardan industrial zone and other male and female involve in different business in the district aren’t taking interest in the chamber activates.

 However despite of these differences in Mardan the FPCCI has included six voters including two women in the provisional voter list on it website.