In another gross violation of the rules, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chief Executive SM Muneer has been made the director of the FPCCI’s Pakistan-Canada Business Council.
An informed source said that being a full time CEO of TDAP, Muneer could not become part of any business organisation. This is not only a gross violation of government service rules, but a major conflict of interest, under the companies’ rules.
Under the TDAP Act, the CEO is a full-time employee of the authority, which comes under the Ministry of Commerce.
“SM Muneer, a Canadian nationality holder, has (vested) business interests in Canada and he wants to play an active role in Canadian business community and Canadian chambers of commerce,” the source said, alleging that he managed to get the coveted post owing to his close association with the prime minister.
A FPCCI notification stated that in response to the elections notice of FPCCI-IBP/BC/-2017 of January 5, 2017 for the nine members , f the board of the directors of the FPCCI’s Pakistan-Canada Business Council for the term 2017, the FPPCI received seven nominations for the post of council director within the stipulated timeframe.
“Therefore, the seven members are declared elected (unopposed) on the board of directors of the council,” disclosed newly-elected FPCCI President Zubair Tufail.
Similarly, the 4th Canada-Pakistan Trade Expo 2017 being organised in Toronto in July by the FPCCI will be supervised by SM Muneer, said Tufail, who hoped that this expo would help Pakistan’s exports capture unconventional North American market. Leading entrepreneurs and industrial sector of Pakistan are invited to participate in the event.
The FPCCI stated that FPCCI’s Pakistan-Canada Business Council Chairman SM Muneer will personally supervise the affairs of the Trade Expo 2017 being organised in Toronto in July this year. This came as a surprise to all and sundry since a CEO of a government-owned organization could not supervise any event under the companies’ laws.
The business community, the source said, was demanding the prime minister to immediately appoint a new competent person to head the TDAP.
