Daily Times

The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF Anjum Nisar Group) has stressed the need for reviewing power purchase agreements, recommending forensic audit of the Independent Power Producers with a view to restore the viability of country’s energy sector.

In a meeting, which was attended by the representatives of all major sectors of trade and industry in the provincial capital, posed their full confidence in the leadership of Mian Anjum Nisar and his group of PIAF, as the Front has been splitting into two groups.

PIAF patron-in-chief Mian Anjum Nisar along with its chairman Faheemur Rehman Saigol said that instead of excessive borrowing, including the recent IMF $7 billion financing, the Ease of Doing Business is vital to put the country’s economy back on track.

The PIAF, which has been allying with the Founders to rule the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) for last over quarter century, has a setback, dividing into parts, paving the way for a full-fledged and open election of the business community in the Lahore Chamber being held in Sept this year.

Patron-in-Chief of PIAF Anjum Nisar Group and chairman Fahimur Rahman Saigol, former Chairman PIAF Muhammad Ali Mian and Abu Zar Shad, LCCI Senior Vice President Zafar Mehmood Chaudhry, Vice President Adnan Khalid Butt, Vice Chairman PIAF Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry and other PIAF leaders made it clear that our commercial political group PIAF is our property. In this regard, we have submitted proprietary evidence including newspaper clippings, photos, minutes of meetings in the IPO court and the court has already given a stay order in our favor.

Our opposition group is neither appearing nor filing a response even after repeated summons by the court. If our opposition group wants to fight, they should appear in the court.

Mian Anjum Nisar also presented the copy of the stay order obtained from the court to the media.

PIAF Chairman Fahimur Rahman Saigol said that the opposition groups are cheating on the claim related to the ownership of Piaf, and have sent them legal notices and now the matter is in the court. Mian Anjum Nisar also flayed the Founders for parting ways, saying the group has broken the unity of the business community, pledging it would continue the winning record of the last several years in the upcoming LCCI elections 2024.

He said that he himself along with LCCI former president Muhammad Ali Mian and late Sheikh Arshad had signed the PIAF-Founders alliance agreement, as the copy of the alliance agreement is the evidence.

“This office used to be the Piaf-Founders Alliance. What happened to the founder overnight is beyond comprehension. All this happened at a time when the business community needed unity.”

He said that more industrial groups and trade bodies have announced their support for the PIAF in the upcoming LCCI elections, expressing full confidence of the leadership of Mian Anjum Nisar, rejecting all other so-called groups altogether.

In a large gathering, attended by a large number of business representatives from across the city and the members of the PIAF posed their confidence for the Anjum Nisar group, assuring him of full support in the upcoming election of the LCCI.

Mian Najam Nisar and Fahimur Rehman Saigol said that the service of traders from the platform of PIAF has been going on for the past 52 years and the presence of a large number of traders and industrialists in every event is the proof in this regard. It shows that PIAF is not just a show but a name of service to the business community.

PIAF Fahimur Rahman Saigol said that PIAF has an excellent record of 22 years of service to the business community because PIAF brings qualified and working people to Lahore to advocate for the business community. Criticizing the government energy policy he said the PIAF has been raising its voice for the last four years that the industrial wheel of the country cannot run on this policy of electricity. Earlier it was said that there is no electricity, now they say that there is abundant electricity. People are reducing the use of electricity all over the world.

PIAF Chairman Faheemur Rehman Saigol said that the PIAF is not doing drawing room politics, we are people living in the business community and markets. Piaf is not the name of a few elders, but the name of businessmen and industrialists consisting of 180 executive committee members.