UAE | General
Friends Panel emerges victorious in polls
Farooq elected president of Pakistan Association for second consecutive term.
- By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter
- Published: 21:01 March 21, 2009
- Image Credit: Vazhisojan/Gulf News
- Community members turned out in force on Friday to take part in elections for the new governing body of the Pakistan Association.
Dubai: Pakistani community members turned out in large numbers on Friday to cast their votes to elect the new governing body of their popular association in Dubai.
Riaz Farooq of the Pakistan Friends panel won the most keenly contested election in the history of the association by bagging 1,047 votes.
Farooq has been elected president for the second consecutive time as he defeated Mian Muneer Hans from the United Forum. The United Forum got 902 votes out of the total 1,947 valid ballots.
Jubilations sparked amongst patiently waiting supporters of Farooq when the results were announced at around 11pm. For some, it was an unexpected result because the United Forum had become the favourite after a group of leading Pakistani businessmen defected from the Pakistan Friends panel just a couple of weeks before the election and announced their support for the United Forum but the group known as the "king makers" could not make any difference this time.
The United Forum panel lost the elections for the third consecutive time.
Amjad Nawaz, chairman of the election committee, said the polling process went very smoothly. He also congratulated the community for showing discipline and patience.
"Our members have shown that they are conscious voters and cannot be intimidated by any one when it comes to the general interest of the community," Farooq told Gulf News after the results were announced.
He offered members of the losing panel the chance to join hands with him for the welfare of the community.
"Our doors are open for everyone and any positive contribution to improve the association and the Pakistan Sports and Recreation Club will be appreciated," he added.
Faqrooq said that his top priority would be to complete the construction of the multi-purpose hall which has been lying incomplete for the past 20 years.
"I am determined to kick start the work in April," he added.
He said the first phase would cost around Dh6 million while the estimated cost of the whole complex for the association was around Dh24 million.
Successive governing bodies have been promising to build a multi-purpose hall, construction of which started about two decades ago, but it had never been completed due to lack of funds, will and lack of cooperation. The association is located in a dilapidated building of the Pakistan Sports and Cultural Club on Oud Metha Road.
Currently, there are no facilities such as games, restaurant or coffee shop for members. Families avoid visiting the place because there is no entertainment for children and families.
"We are striving to make the association a family destination and it will be achieved with the construction of the multi-purpose hall," said Farooq.
Winners: New office-bearers
- President: Mohammad Riaz Farooq Sahi
- Vice-President: Mohammad Azeem
- General Secretary: Mohammad Khaleeq
- Joint Secretary: Mohammad Abbad Ansari
- Cultural Secretary: Inayatur Rehman
- Religious Secretary: Hafiz Abdul Kareem
- Finance Secretary: Raees Ahmad Khan
- Education Secretary: Mohammad Afzal
- Sports Secretary: Farrakh Raza
- Welfare Secretary: Rizwan Abdul Satta
- Public Relations Secretary: Mohammad Tariq Awan
- Social and Legal Affairs Secretary: Raja Mohammad Ashiq
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