RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Lahore Customs Agents Association Chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Amjad has announced to contest the next elections of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry with “renewed spirit and under a new platform having representation of all segments of the trade and industry”.

“We have launched our struggle against wrong-doings in the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry by the ruling group and despite very little time to approach the voters; people overwhelmingly welcomed the Customs Agents Association and its ally. Though we lost with little margins to the big wigs of the chamber but it has spread panic amongst their rank and now we will be competing with them from a new platform. Reason to re-brand our platform is that no segment of trade and industry should feel that customs agents are neglecting them in a joint war against corruption and nepotism,” said association Chairman Amjad in a General Body meeting of his association the other night.

He wants Customs agents to back him in what he calls his “noble cause” in eradicating nepotism and making the Lahore Chamber a platform for all its members instead a place to benefit “a few handpicked people”.

Participants present in the meeting raised their hands to assure him their full support. He then told his fellows to spread in all markets and industrial areas of Lahore to muster support of those who are against the policies of the ruling alliance of the chamber. He claimed that soon a big group from the ruling alliance would be joining his ranks to support his struggle for making the chamber a ‘Chamber for All’ in letter and spirit. He regretted that Customs Agents were never given due importance in the past by the leadership of the chamber and asked them to spare some time with him in his struggle to give customs agents due respect and importance in the chamber, which they deserve. He vowed that he would not leave his brothers and colleagues from the profession of customs agents alone in this struggle and also constituted a committee on this occasion which would be meeting those who are a silent majority to convince them to play their role to purge the chamber from corrupt elements and restoring its image as a premier body of trade and commerce.