Chambers, trade organizations’ elections suspended

Lahore: Director General Trade Organizations Office on Wednesday suspended all the actions under Trade Organizations Act 2013 and Trade Organizations Rules 2013.

According to the spokesperson of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among the actions suspended by the Director General of Trade Organizations are the composition of Election Commission, provisional voters’ lists, final voters’ lists, nomination for executive committee, nomination for officials and post-election complaints.

It has also been clarified that the Islamabad High Court granted a stay order on the order issued by the Director General of Trade Organizations on July 7, 2023 regarding the Chambers and Trade Organizations Election 2023-24 and the date of the next hearing has been fixed on October 5, 2023.

The spokesperson said that the elections of the office-bearers of the chambers and trade organizations are conducted under sub-section 1 of section 11 of the Trade Organizations Act, 2013, while the elections of the executive committee were held under the Trade Organizations Rules, 2013.

However, after the order of the Islamabad High Court, the Director General of Trade Organizations suspended all the actions under the Trade Organizations Act 2013 and Trade Organizations Rules 2013 and now it is not possible for the Chambers and Chambers of Commerce to hold elections in 2023.

The loopholes have also been pointed out in the Trade Organizations Rules, stating that the rotation clause has been omitted in Rule 21(13) of the amended Trade Organizations Rules, 2013.

Its trade organizations, excluding FPCCI, have remained unchanged for two years. The DGTO has given suggestions in this regard that either executive committee members of trade organizations, excluding FPCCI, should be extended for one year till the election for the entire executive committee is not held in the year 2024 or the affairs of the Executive Committee may be run with 50% of the members.