RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Director General Trade Organisation (DGTO) in Islamabad on Wednesday declared the recent elections of the Rahim Yar Khan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RYKCCI) null and void. According to an order issued by Muhammad Usman Qureshi, the regulator of Trade Organisations, the polling for the election of executive committee members, held on Sept 14 and 16, as well as the election of office bearers on Sept 23, have been declared void. The RYKCCI executive committee has been instructed to revise the election schedule and announce new dates for polling for the 2024-26 term. The nomination papers already submitted by candidates for the executive committee will remain valid, and no new nominations will be accepted. The executive committee has also been directed to appoint a new election commission to complete the remaining election process. Three candidates from the Azad Ittehad Group (AIG) — Mian Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Abbas Sindhu, and Rao Shoaib Aslam — had submitted written complaints alleging rigging, ballot box tampering, and other irregularities by their opponents. In response, the DGTO sought reports from three members of the election commission — Chaudhry Muhammad Arif, Zakaullah Cheema, and Chaudhry Shafqat Hussain — as well as RYKCCI secretary Muhammad Usman Azhar. Each submitted separate reports. On Sept 24, the DGTO, after hearing the accounts from all stakeholders, including Friends Founder Alliance (FFA) candidate Waleed Nisar, issued a detailed order. Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, leader of the AIG, told this correspondent from Islamabad that the DGTO’s decision to hold new elections marked a victory for their group. Haji Ibrahim, leader of the FFA, who had earlier admitted to rigging and ballot box tampering by members of his own group, also welcomed the DGTO’s decision, stating that only transparent elections would benefit the business community of Rahim Yar Khan.