Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) has said that renewal of SAARC trade bodies issue would be discussed in length in the coming 19th SAARC summit.
In a statement on Friday, Sahibzada Usman Zulfiqar said the diplomatic and political brawl between Pakistan and India has paralyzed SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) as the Association has barred Pakistan from using its nomenclature being a suspended body.
Few months earlier, Iftikhar Ali Malik from Lahore was nominated as the President of SAARC CCI as per rotation policy.
Only July 6, 2020, Fazulrahman Rahmani, Director, HRT, SAARC Secretariat wrote a letter to the heads of the SAARC recognised regional apex bodies saying that according to SAARC guidelines and procedures, their recognition status has expired. The recognition of 24 bodies ( six apex bodies and 18 recognized bodies) has expired. Previously, SAARC bodies used to continue their working as per schedule despite expiry of recognition but this is the first time, they have been barred from functioning.
According to the letter, in terms of guidelines and procedures for granting/ renewal of recognition by SAARC to the ‘SAARC recognized regional apex bodies’, the Standing Committee is the competent SAARC body to take a decision on this matter. Given the fact, the status of recognition of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is no more valid beyond its date of expiry and stands pending until the competent body of SAARC meets and considers the matter relating to the Chamber, including the question of renewal of recognition.
