LAHORE, Sept 21: The ruling PIAF-Founders Alliance on Tuesday won the first round of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Executive Committee elections by winning all four chamber class seats with a thumping majority.

Of 661 votes cast out of a total 1,116, three were rejected. PIAF-Founders candidates Mian Shafqat Ali, Majid Abdullah, Kashif Younas and Mohammad Younas secured 559, 544, 541 and 543 votes, respectively. Founders Panel's Tariq Mahmood, Mohammad Wasiq, Naseer Malik and Aneesur Rahman bagged only 124, 99, 115 and 79 votes, respectively.

The executive committee elections will be completed with 8,430 associate class members electing four members in the second and final round of voting to be held on Wednesday.

Thirteen candidates - Shaikh Aftab Ahmad Vohra, Shaikh Mohammad Arshad, Faisal Iqbal, Ali Asghar Malik, Zulfiqar Ahmad, Mian Awais Afzaal, Munawwar Javed Awan, Karamat Ali Awan, Mohammad Asif, Shaikh Ahmad Mujtaba, Sajid Aziz Mir and Rizwan Akhtar - are contesting for four associate members seats.

PIAF-Founders Group nominee Mohammad Yousaf has been elected on the single Trade Group Executive Committee seat unopposed. Election for the LCCI president, senior vice-president and vice-president for the next term will be held at the executive committee meeting to be held after the announcement of the associate class members' election results.

The chamber executive committee comprises one president, one senior vice-president, one vice-president and 27 members - three from trade groups and 12 each from chamber and associate classes. Nine executive committee members - one trade groups, four chamber class and four associate class - are elected for a period of three years every year.