GUJRAT, Sept 29: The Director Trade Organisation, Ministry of Commerce, on Monday dissolved the executive committee and all the office-bearers of Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GTCCI) including its president, Sheikh Khawar Rafique.

An administrator along with a five-member committee had also been constituted to run the chamber affairs till Nov 30.

Nadeem Sandhu, a member of GTCCI, had filed a written complaint with Director General Trade Organisation Haider Raza some three months back stating that the chamber was being run illegally as elections of executive committee and other office-bearers including president, SVP and VP were not held for the last four years.

The complainant further stated that Qamar Zaman Gill, a former GTCCI president, had continued to occupy the office of the president for the four consecutive years from 2003 to 2007, which was totally illegal and in violation of the rules of trade organisation.

According to the rules a person can only serve in the office of the president for only one year.

On the direction of the commerce ministry, Mr Haider Raza probed the matter thoroughly and presented the investigation report to Director Trade Organisation Anjum Asad who issued a notification of the dissolution of the executive committee and other office-bearers president Khawar Rafique, SVP Abid Farooq and VP Soban Zaheer Butt from their offices.

The director also termed Mr Gill’s membership in the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry on the illegal recommendation of the GTCCI executive committee and his office of the vice president of FPCCI as null and void with immediate effect.

Arshad Ahmed, the Assistant Director of Trade Wing Authority, Gujranwala, had been appointed as administrator of GTCCI whereas a five-member committee would help in running the affairs of the chamber till Nov 30, 2008.