KARACHI, Nov 20: The Sindh High Court on Thursday granted a stay till next Monday to Waqar Monnoo on his petition seeking annulment of the resolution of the Managing Committee of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association to unseat him from the office of the chairman of Aptma.

Mr Monnoo moved the high court following a petition filed on Wednesday by his rival candidate Shahid Anwar Tata to the Director of Trade Organizations (DTO). The DTO, who is an officer in the commerce ministry, is the main arbitrator in disputes of trade bodies under the law.

Shahid Anwar Tata, who lost by two votes in the Aptma chairman elections last October, had alleged serious irregularities in the polls. In his petition as convener of the Managing Committee to the DTO, he sought annulment of the elections of the chairman of the association for the year 2003-04 and asked for declaring the office of Aptma chairman vacant. Mr Tata called for fresh elections in accordance with the provisions of the article of the association of Aptma.

He prayed that either the DTO or the Managing Committee be allowed to invite a member of the committee to hold the office of the chairman till the elections of the chairman is conducted. Mr Tata has given names of 14 members of the 26-member Managing Committee, who in their resolution on Nov 17, had removed Waqar Monnoo from the office of the chairman.

Mr Monnoo is his petition to the high court has contended that the Managing Committee has no authority whatsoever to remove the elected chairman of Aptma.

Anis ul Haq, acting chief executive officer of Aptma, and Shahid Tata sought police intervention to take cognizance of the presence of unauthorized guards at the Aptma central office, Karachi, who prevented them from entering the office.

The Aptma central office and that of Sindh-Balochistan circle remained closed on Thursday for the second consecutive day. The entire staff of the office did not attend the office.

Anwar Tata, a former Aptma chairman and father of Shahid Tata, told reporters at an Iftar party that the Aptma office might reopen on Friday.

Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, who addressed the Iftar party gathering, urged the textile business leaders to resolve their disputes amicably and through dialogue.