LAHORE - The Businessmen Group has fielded Tariq Saud for the elections of Chairman APTMA Sind-Balochistan Zone on Thursday (today) against Waqar Monoo of the Tata Group.
Tariq Saud will easily be on the victory stand, as the Businessmen Group, led by Gohar Ejaz, has already won the Managing Committee elections for the Sindh-Balochistan Zone unopposed. The Businessmen Group has also secured key positions, other than office of Chairman APTMA Sindh-Balochistan Zone, unopposed.
It may be noted that the Businessmen Group has also defeated the Tata Group in the elections of five seats of the Central Managing Committee (CMC) on 17 Sept 2013. The Businessmen Group had secured 197 votes against 67 votes of Shahid Tata, the only contesting candidate from the Tata Group. A total of 211 votes, out of 273 registered voters, were cast in the CMC elections. One vote was declared as invalid and therefore total turnout with 210 valid votes stood around 77.29 percent. Shahid Tata bagged only 67 votes and the Businessmen Group candidates including Sohail Yunis Tabba, Imran Maqbool, Zahid Mazhar, Amanullah Kasim and Jail Qassim secured 197, 187, 180, 174 and 172 votes respectively.
It is further interesting to note that the Businessmen Group has secured 102 panel votes out of a total 134 votes in Punjab. In Sindh-Balochistan, the Group has bagged 41 panel votes out of a total of 65 votes. It means that Businessmen Group has got a total of 143 panel votes countrywide out of 207 valid votes. The Tata Group has got only 11 panel votes.
The Businessmen Group had secured 110 panel votes out of a total of 210 votes in previous elections.
Chairman Businessmen Group Gohar Ejaz said that this added strength gained by his group shows the level of confidence textile industry has extended to the Businessmen Group. The opponents re virtually pushed to the wall by the members, he added.
The initiatives like energy security and affordability, cotton research, free market mechanism, rationalisation of interest rates, implementation of zero rating Sales Tax regime, market access, sustainability and overall performance of the textile industry are feathers in the cap of Businessmen Group, he said.
According to him, the textile industry exports have reached to $13.1 billion in 2012-13 against $9.5 billion in 2009-10. He said the Businessmen Group has set a target of adding another $13 billion exports in next five years to ensure 10 million jobs further in the country.