Organizations and institutions established over the years, crumble when individual whims are allowed to prevail over rules and healthy traditions set over a century. All it takes to destroy an institution, such as Gentlemen’s Club located on Upper Mall Lahore spread over several acres of prime real estate, is an Executive Committee dominated by men with a history of financial malpractices, moral bankruptcy, facing charges for corruption having support from a pliant bureaucracy and a lower judiciary which is not above board. For over a century this Club, like numerous other prestigious clubs in Lahore, Karachi etc held their annual general elections, to elect a committee to run affairs of club in accordance with rules and regulations that have existed over years with membership offered on first come first serve basis, to educated citizens, civil servants, uniformed officers, professionals who enjoyed credible reputation, with no criminal record or indiscipline.
A barely literate (fake degree) tax evading trader, affiliated with political party of ill-repute, and a retired bureaucrat facing criminal charges of massive corruption, under investigation by NAB, on directives of Superior Judiciary during their tenures as chairman have ruined this club. The former bureaucrat Chairman went on rampage offering membership to highest bidder, offering a category of membership (A-Member) which never existed, violating rights of those who have been on waiting list for over ten years. This practice of widening their electoral constituency by irregularly making new members has been in vogue for over a decade in this club, reducing quality of its membership, adversely impacting its décor, discipline and working. When challenged for irregularities the Executive Committee elected under previous set of rules manipulated their contacts to enhance their tenure to three years on flimsy grounds on basis of General Body conducted in haste, without seeking fresh mandate. It is alleged that relationship of semi literate present head of club with a Judge is being exploited to influence lower judiciary.
ZAMAN G,
Lahore, December 7.