KARACHI: The recently held election of KCAA are getting more and more controversial and it is likely that the issue would be taken to litigation as the competing panels have failed to develop consensus on any sort of solution.
The general body of the Karachi Customs Agents Association (KCAA), which is scheduled to be held on September 28, 2017 is likely to be postponed as
The newly elected president of KCAA Yahya Mohammad of Customs Agents Group said that only four of their candidates were declared successful in the election while 16 seats went to Customs Agents Alliance. He said that they accepted the results and honored the mandate earned by Customs Agents Alliance adding that the Alliance should also accept the election results and the mandate earned by the Group keeping in view the integrity of the association.
Yahya said all the customs agents were one fraternity and there was no division among them. He said it was the tradition of the association that after elections, the winner panel served all the customs agents regardless of their affiliation with competing panels.
He said that the KCAA bylaws did not include any provision regarding recounting or reconciliation while the role of Chief Election Commission was only limited till the announcement of provisional results. He said that the Chief Election Commission had been served a legal notice in this regard.
Current General Secretary KCAA and leader of Customs Agents Alliance Wasiq Hussain Memon said it was about the transparency of the process adding that as many as 57 votes could not be counted as found through some probe.
Memon said that these unaccounted for 57 votes could either be for the Group or for the Alliance. He said they were not willing to go for any sort of litigation and added that both the competing panels should sit together and improve the bylaws to ensure a fair and transparent process and for this purpose amendments could also be made in the bylaws.
Sources said that Chief Election Commission Asif Mehmood will be holding a recounting and reconciliation of votes on Tuesday September 26, 2017. However, he refused to confirm or deny this development.