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APTMA: NWFP members' threat to form own body

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The members of Aptma from NWFP have threatened to form their own organisation if the extraordinary general body meeting of Aptma on March 14 amends its constitution whereby its chairmanship would go to the Frontier province once in six years.

Addressing a press conference here this evening, Mohsin Aziz, member managing committee, PFCCI, Javed Saifullah, former Aptma chairman and Farid Jadoon, vice-chairman, Aptma, said that if the general body went ahead with its proposed resolution, they would dissociate from the Association and constitute Frontier Textile Mills Association (FTMA).

They stressed that the proposed resolution goes against the spirit of federation. The majority enjoyed by textile mills owners of one province wanted to deny the right of the NWFP through brute majority.

The agenda for the extraordinary general meeting includes a resolution which states that the chairmanship of the association shall rotate in the following manner. In the first year Punjab zone, in second year Sindh-Balochistan zone, in third year Punjab zone, in fourth year Sindh-Balochistan zone, in fifth year Punjab zone and in sixth year NWFP zone. The resolution further proposes that this sequence would commence from October 2000. Under this arrangement, chairmanship of the association would come to NWFP in the sixth year, which they said was unacceptable to them. This is contrary to the principle of federation.

Responding to a question, Mohsin Aziz said that they would formally write to the Chief Executive as it contravenes his objective of removing disharmony between the provinces.