The Director Trade Organisations (DTO), Ministry of Commerce (MoC), has finally taken notice and come into action to intervene in the current unsavoury atmosphere prevailing in the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), and asked Riaz Ahmed Tata "to prove the veracity of the resignation".
In a letter faxed to Riaz Ahmed Tata on January 14, DTO Chaudhry Muhammad Azam said: "Please find enclosed a copy of resignation dated December 8, 2003 from the post of the President FPCCI, stated to be submitted by you before the members of the managing committee, which has been presented to this office along with a complaint by FPCCI Vice-President Sohail Altaf."
The DTO also asked Tata that to prove the veracity of the resignation, saying: "You are requested to furnish your views/comments in the matter to this ministry latest by January 16. Please also submit your views/comments on the complaint copy of which is enclosed."
Several members of the FPCCI managing committee and office-bearers, contacted to comment on the DTO's letter, said: "The issuance of the letter indicates that the Ministry of Commerce has decided to invoke the jurisdiction of the DTO provided under the Trade Organisations Ordinance (TOO) 1961.
The MoC further acted upon the order of the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court, which, while disposing of the writ petition filed by Sohail Altaf, directed the DTO to take a decision by passing speaking order after hearing all the parties concerned, including Tata, in the matter of complaint filed by the application to the DTO.
The applicant had filed a petition under Section 9 of the TOO 1961 for the issuance of appropriate orders on the complaint to the DTO dated December 27, 2003 in which complainant Sohail Altaf had referred to illegal cancellation of the managing committee and annual general meeting earlier scheduled for December 30 and 31, respectively.
It would be interesting to note that Tata has been saying that he has never resigned and any resignation, claimed to have been signed by him, is fake.
On the other hand, the existence of his resignation was confirmed by Jamil Mehboob Magoon in the press conference in the Federation House on December 29 after the managing committee requisitioned by 22 members with the quorum complete had accepted the resignation of Tata and appointed Sohail Altaf as the acting President.
Jamil Mehboob Magoon, in the press conference, also said since the other part of the commitment of making Maqbool Shaikh, FPCCI vice-president as zonal chief was not honoured so the reciprocation to honour the resignation of Tata could not take effect.
It may be recalled that earlier, the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, had disposed of the petition of Sohail Altaf for enforcing the (alleged) resignation of Tata, and held that Section 9 of TOO vests the DTO with supervision and control of acts and proceedings of registered trade organisations.
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