Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, presidential candidate of Businessman Panel (BP) in Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (FPCCI) annual elections 2010, elected unopposed as the rival group, Businessmen Forum, did not field its candidate. Candidates of BP on six Vice President's seats also returned unopposed, as the BF did not field its candidates for the seats.
BP's presidential candidate, Senator Haji Ghulam Ali who is son in law of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Reham, stood elected unopposed as none of Senator Ilyas Bilour-led BF filed nomination paper to contest for the slot till expiry of the deadline for nomination papers on December 24.
With wining of the top FPCCI slot and six vice presidents seats, FPCCI elections turned one-sided for the Tariq Sayeed-led BP. Six candidates, who won vice presidents' elections unopposed, are included Mian Tariq Shafi, Khalid Tawab, Daud Usman Chakura and Fazal Elahi.
These four BP candidates stood elected vice president from association seats. Its two candidates -Fazal Elahi from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and M Usman from Sindh also returned unopposed as vice president from chambers' seats. Candidates have filed papers for two seats of vice presidents for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Elections for these two vice presidents' seats will be held on December 29 in Karachi. Ghulam Farooq and Dr M Aslam will contest for Balochistan and Faisal Salim and Akbar Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhawa.
With unopposed election of the president and six vice presidents, BP emerged as a strong representative of Pakistan's business community. It shows that BP's arch rival group has lost its popularity among business community, as it preferred to stay away from FPCCI elections 2010. This is fifth easy win of BP over BF in a row. BP has won all FPCCI elections since 2005 with a thumping majority.
Despite knowing the fact well that BF is putting very small resistance to its candidates, BP leadership worked hard till expiry of deadline for filing the nomination papers on December 24. All key BP leaders including Tariq Sayeed, Iftikhar Ali Malik, S. M. Munir Sultan Chawla, Zubair Malik were present in FPCCI head office in Karachi till expiry of deadline of nomination papers of the candidates.