PAGH Expels another Member
The Pakistan Association of Greater Houston (PAGH) remains in the midst of a crisis situation where its opposition has leveled serious charges against the organization accusing it of embezzling funds, rigging the elections and inaccuracies relating to the Pakistan Center land deal. PAGH denies all such allegations. The opposition is lead by four prominent members of the community, namely, Nayyar Izfar, Sajjad Burkhi, Zafar Tahir and Moon Khan.
On December 7, 2004, the Executive Committee of the Pakistan Association of Greater Houston (PAGH) unanimously voted to terminate the membership of Zafar Tahir (effective Dec 13, 2004). This has further flared the conflict. Zafar Tahir is the second member to be expelled from PAGH this year; the first was Saeed Gaddi. PAGH maintains that the decision was made by the Committee after it found the former in violation of Article 4, Code of Ethics of the PAGH Constitution. This article reads, “All members shall conduct themselves with civility, honesty, integrity and justice in their dealings with other members especially in the public forums, community related activities, community issues, and PAGH programs. Each member shall observe due decorum, respect and regard for the rights of others.”
Ghulam Bombaywala, President of PAGH, in a letter signed by him, notified Zafar Tahir of the termination of his PAGH membership and informed that his rights and privileges of membership have been revoked and he will be banned from any and all PAGH programs and activities. Tasleem Siddiqui, General Secretary of PAGH, at the meeting said, “The action of expulsion of a member is deeply disliked by PAGH but this decision was taken due to unavoidable circumstances and in the best interest of the community at large.” Ghulam Bombaywala said, “A written invitation was sent out to Zafar Tahir to meet with the Executive Committee personally but he decided to come with the Board (Ad-hoc committee. The purpose of the meeting was to find the meaning of the so-called General Body Meetings.”
According to PAGH, since Zafar Tahir declined to meet with the Executive Committee personally, the Executive Committee decided to give him until Dec.10, 2004, to render a formal apology for “the public defamation of the character of individuals who serve on the Executive Committee and the harmful remarks he made towards the organization” and that failure to do so might result in the termination of his PAGH membership. Zafar Tahir responded on Dec.9, 2004, by a 7 page letter addressed to Ghulam Bombaywala claiming all charges against him as “false and malicious”. He questioned PAGH’s leadership and management and presented a road map as a solution to the existing crisis adding that failure to fully comply with the road map “will leave PAGH members with no choice but to enlist the assistance of appropriate federal, state and local government officials and law enforcement authorities …”
At the meeting it was mentioned that Zafar Tahir is the only president of PAGH who had been expelled when in office and never before in the history of PAGH has the same person has been expelled twice from this organization.