HYDERABAD: After years-long controversy keeping the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) without a legitimate governing body and its office-bearers, a new leadership, at last, gained control of the chamber on Thursday evening with the issuance of a fresh licence from the federal commerce ministry.

The HCCI licence had expired on May 6, 2011. The Director General of Trade Organisations (DGTO), which regulates the country’s trade bodies, had already cancelled the licence on Jan 27, 2020, according to Adeel Siddiqui, who has now become HCCI president, It was Mr Siddiqui who led a sustained struggle to seek a fresh licence and fight against a self-installed illegitimate body.

Soon after cancellation of HCCI licnece, an influential businessman, Mr Goharullah, along with his close associates kept using the defunct chamber’s platform. He kept doling out HCCI slots at will. Until Wednesday last, a youth, Faizan Illahi, was installed as president of defunct chamber.

Mr Siddiqui and his group approached Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), whose president Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo on July 7, 2021 wrote to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah about “fake” representation of Sindh’s business community by the defunct HCCI.

“Federal commerce ministry issued a fresh licence to us on April 20, 2022 on an application submitted on April 16,” said Mr Siddiqui, adding that it was valid for five years and issued under the signature of Riaz Ahmad, the regulator of trade organisations.

While Adeel Siddiqui has become HCCI president, Najamu­ddin Qureshi is its senior vice president and Awais Khan vice president. They took over the chamber on Thursday night and communicated the development to all other stakeholders.

Chronology of events

After cancellation of HCCI licence by DGTO on Jan 27, 2020, the secretary general of defunct HCCI filed an appeal before federal commerce secretary, who eventually formed a committee comprising two federal ministers, Shibli Faraz and Khusro Bakhtiar.

“Defunct HCCI lost its appeal before the committee and our application for issuance of fresh licence was allowed,” said Adeel Siddiqui.

Former HCCI president Mr. Goharullah had been running the defunct HCCI as a club of personal friends as most of its members had joined a new chamber – Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry – got established by a veteran industrialist, Amin Khatri. Currently ailing, Mr Khatri was among those sponsors who had got the HCCI established. Other sponsors included Haji Yaqoob and Yusuf Suleman. HCCI was granted licence on May 7, 2008.

Mr Siddiqui, who pledged that memberships would be granted afresh considering trade ministry’s guidelines. “The past management had wreaked havoc with chamber’s name,” he claimed and recalled that [in the past’ “we all were supporters of the Goharullah group. When Ikram Rajput was elected as president, we found chamber’s licence already cancelled and its renewal was not sought”.

This had triggered a controversy, he said, adding that “there was no record of membership available. Then Mr Goharullah submitted Ikram Rajput’s fake resignation before the chamber and got Mohammad Shahid elected as president which aggravated the situation. We then decided to pursue it at proper legal forum.

‘Takeover’ rejected

Mr. Goharullah has rejected what he called “administratively-sponsored takeover of the chamber” saying that its secretary general [Faizan Illahi] has submitted a complaint with the Cantonment police station.

He alleged that Adeel Siddiqui and Ikram Rajput had given wrong briefing to the district administration.

Mr. Goharullah told Dawn on Friday that “our case regarding the chamber is pending in high court”. He shared the application submitted by the defunct HCCI’s secretary general, stating that the takeover was done “under ‘patronage of deputy commissioner and police”.

He said the SSP was also informed in writing by security chief, Izhar Mallah, on April 21 about “criminal trespass into the chamber by Adeel Siddiqui, Awais Khan, Iftikhar Abbasi, Ameen Pathan and 10 unknown persons”. Mr Mallah alleged that the “intruders seized cash Rs12.5m, expensive gifts and other valuables”.

DC recognises new leadership

DC Fuad Soomro told Dawn that the district administration recognised the licence issued by the commerce ministry, and hoped that the new management would strive for safeguarding business community’s interests. He, however, said the district administration had nothing to do with the takeover of the chamber. “The defunct HCCI had become dysfunctional and did nothing for business community,”, he observed.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2022