By Farzana Chaudhry Lahore Pakistan

LAHORE: The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has vowed to reorganise its ranks and make a strong comeback in the next Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) elections, with Patron-in-Chief Mian Anjum Nisar claiming that the group did not lose the recent contest but that its mandate was “taken away.”

The statement was made during a PIAF Executive Committee meeting held at a local hotel under the chairmanship of Mian Anjum Nisar, where more than 200 members expressed confidence in the organisation’s central leadership.

The LCCI Corporate Class election held on September 23 saw 13 of the 15 seats go to the Vision Alliance, while the PPBA Alliance secured two seats.

The provisional results showed a close contest for the final winning positions. PPBA’s Tahir Manzoor secured 1,478 votes and Aamir Ata Barry received 1,460 votes, while the next candidate, Hamza Majeed, secured 1,455 votes.

Following objections over the counting process, a recount was conducted on October 2 on the directions of the Directorate General of Trade Organisations (DGTO). The recount changed several individual vote tallies but did not alter the overall result.

Tahir Manzoor’s tally increased from 1,478 to 1,483 votes, while Aamir Ata Barry’s increased from 1,460 to 1,466. Ali Hussam Asghar’s tally changed from 1,700 to 1,697 votes.

Addressing the meeting, Mian Anjum Nisar said PIAF had contested and won numerous elections in the past and would continue serving the business community despite being in opposition at the LCCI.

“We have not lost the election; the election was taken away from us,” Nisar said, alleging that several forms of interference had been witnessed during the electoral process.

He said PIAF would prepare parallel teams ahead of the next elections to develop new leadership and ensure that the organisation did not remain dependent on a few individuals.

“There should not be only one Anjum Nisar, one Muhammad Ali Mian or one Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol in PIAF,” he said, emphasising the need to strengthen the organisation at every level.

PIAF Chairman and former LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol said the meeting demonstrated complete unity within the organisation.

“Today the entire PIAF is united and all executive members have expressed confidence in Mian Anjum Nisar’s leadership. This is our victory,” Saigol said.

PIAF Vice Chairman Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry and former LCCI presidents Muhammad Ali Mian and Tahir Javed Malik also attended the meeting.

The PIAF Executive Committee expressed complete confidence in the leadership and pledged to remain active in opposition while continuing to work for the interests of the business community.