KARACHI, June 15: One of the Fishermen Cooperative Society directors Shahnawaz Husain was elected unopposed as chairman of the Society while another director Haji Ali Mohammad as its vice-chairman on Thursday. The election was held at the FCS Board Room.

All 15 directors, eight of them government-nominated and the rest elected, were present on the occasion.

Mr Husain’s name for the post of chairman was proposed by Shujaat Ali Qarni, head of the three-member managing committee set up in September 2004 to run the affairs of the FCS till the election for the two top slots.

The name of Haji Ali Mohammad for the post of vice-chairman was proposed by MNA Abdul Waseem.

After his election, the new FCS chairman told APP that his top priorities would be ensuring EU standards to be maintained strictly by all stakeholders and the fishermen’s problems to be resolved.

“I have already prepared a comprehensive programme for increasing seafood catch and exports,” he said.

Mr Husain said that seafood exporters would be requested to help boat-owners update their boats, install fish-hold and complete insulation lining to enhance the catch and ensure better product for exports.

The new FCS chairman, who is a textile exporter, said: “We have been doing this in textile sector. We provide finance to small loom-owners at concessional rates under export refinancing. This way, we get textile goods from our suppliers at competitive rates.”

It may be noted that the Registrar Cooperative Department had held the long-delayed election for the chairman and vice-chairman of the FCS in compliance with the order of the Sindh High Court issued on June 2, 2006.—APP