FAISALABAD, May 19: The Punjab government on Thursday dissolved 98 market committees operating in the province and appointed caretaker administrators, with immediate effect, “pending the constitution of new committees.” According to a notification issued by the Punjab agricultural department (marketing wing), “the action has been taken on the completion of three-year tenure of the members and elected chairmen. Hence they could not continue to hold their offices any longer.”
The notification said: “In consideration of the interim nature of appointment, the Punjab governor is further pleased to direct that the funds of the market committee shall stand frozen expect pay, allowances and recurring establishment expenditure, with immediate effect till further orders. In case of special circumstances, however, funds may be released with the prior approval of the government.”
It added that “the persons appointed as administrators are authorized to exercise the functions of the market committees under the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Ordinance, 1978, rules and bye-laws framed thereunder with immediate effect till further orders.”
According to information gathered by this correspondent, a majority of the newly-appointed administrators belong to the ruling party and their close relatives. In all the previous elections — 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1997 — the market committees were dubbed as political camps of the ruling parties and opposition had termed the appointments of the administrators a move for ‘manoeuvring election’.
The following are the names of administrators of some major towns:
LAHORE: Chaudhry Zaheer Ahmad (Badami Bagh), Akram Warriach (Kot Lakhpat), Salim Chattha (Multan Road), Rana Fayyaz Ahmad (Raiwind), Amin Dhillon (Sheikhupura) and Rai Mushtaq Ahmad (Nankana Sahib).
GUJRANWALA: Zafar Gulzar (Kamoke), Ziaullah Hanjra (Ghakkar), Safdar Warriach (Qila Dedar Singh), Riaz Chattha (Alipur Chattha) and Salim Mattoo (Nowshera Virkan).
RAWALPINDI: Muhammad Jamal (Rawalpindi) and Advocate Javaid Kausar (Gujjar Khan).
SARGODHA: Advocate Ibrahim Gujjar (Sargodha), Mohsin Warriach (Bhalwal), Feroze Bhatti (Sillanwali) and Mehr Muhammad Afzal (Phullarwan).
FAISALABAD: Ali Asghar (Faisalabad), Asad Nawaz Kalyar (Jaranwala), Malik Nisar Ahmad (Chak Jhumra) and Mahr Abdul Aziz Fatiana (Tandilanwala).
MULTAN: Mian Tariq Abdullah Arain (Multan), Ahmad Raza Bodla (Shujabad), Chaudhry Barran Khan Lothar (Qadirpur Raan) and Advocate Faiz Rasool Baloch (Jalalpur Pirwala).
BAHAWALPUR: Mian Shoaib Awaisi (Bahawalpur), Syed Salahuddin Jillani (Ahmadpur East) and Nawaz Cheema (Yazman).