LAHORE : Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) is on the verge of complete disaster as its illegal executive committee elected Zaka Ashraf as central chairman and other office bearers in violation of the rules of DGTO of the ministry of Commerce of Pakistan.
Zaka Ashraf had held the office of PSMA Punjab in 2022-24, hence he did not qualify to get elected as PSMA central chairman. Interestingly , the PSMA executive committee comprising Mr Sajjad , Mr Wasif , Maqsood Malli, Munir Daha, Khalid Hayat . Hyder Mux Rustamani itself had no legal authority to hold elections of PSMA office bearers.
DGTO rules provide that a retiring chairman/ vice chairman shall not be eligible for re-elections or co-option in any representative capacity in the association for the next one year.
hyber Pukhtunkhaw (KPK) chapter of PSMA has rejected Zaka Ashraf’s “Election” as chairman for 2024-26 tenure.
PSMA elections ran into trouble in 2024 when a group led by Zaka Ashraf of Punjab overturned the rules of the Director Trade Organisations (DGTO) of the Commerce ministry and announced to pitch Mr Faisal of Engro Group against legally elected Sarfraz Abbas Khan who comes from Khyber Pukhtunkhaw (KPK).
As per the rules, PSMA follows a rotational formula to accommodate every federating unit of Pakistan and it was KPK’s turn to head PSMA for 2024-26 tenure.
As per the rules and decades old formula, KPK’s Abbas Sarfraz Khan was supposed to head PSMA for complete tenure of 2024-26. However, Punjab-based group of the sugar millers intentionally made PSMA elections of 2024-26 controversial and pitched Mr Faisal of Engro Group against Sarfraz Abbas Khan to “Elect” him as a PSMA chairman. Since Mr Faisal’s pitching against Sarfraz Abbas Khan was illegal, KPK chapter of PSMA challenged it in DGTO office.
Sarfraz Abbas Khan—had fulfilled all the requirement as per rules to get elected as PSMA chairman and lead this once prestigious trade association of Pakistan. However , the influential group of millers from Punjab not only overturned DGTO rules, but also gave a sever hit to the federation of Pakistan by illegally “Nominating” Mr Faisal of Engro Group for the office of the chairman of PSMA.
PSMA KPK chairman Zakaullah Khan moved DGTO office to seek its judgment on illegal nomination of Mr Faisal for the office of the PSMA chairman.
Sources said DGTO sought explanation from PSMA through its letter dated September 30, 2024. PSMA office which is illegally run by Zaka Asharif’s handpicked individuals simply ignored DGTO direction and now after around six months Zaka Ashraf, the real man behind the entire controversy of PSMA elections, has managed to get himself elected as PSMA chairman through unauthorized executive committee .
Zaka Ashraf ‘s seizing of the office of PSMA chairman can have far reaching effect for Pakistan. It is bound to send a message to every federating unit of Pakistan that there is no rule of law in Pakistan and anyone who is influential can grab any office whenever he likes. KPK is already a terrorism hit province and depriving it from representing PSMA for a legal term will be a bad omen.
