‘Horse trading’ leads to extension of Lahore Gymkhana chief’s tenure
LAHORE: In the last-minute ‘coup’ on the final day of his tenure, Lahore Gymkhana Club chairman Salman Siddique retained office for another six months, after two members of the rival ‘Monopoly Breakers’ panel defected and voted for the ruling Salman-Misbah Group. The move shattered a post-election agreement that had called for a six-month rotational chairmanship, after Feb 14 elections had ended…
In the final days of his tenure, Lahore Gymkhana Club chairman Salman Siddique managed to extend his position by six months through a last-minute political maneuver. This unexpected turn of events occurred after two members from the rival 'Monopoly Breakers' panel defected and supported the ruling Salman-Misbah Group. This decision overturned a previously agreed-upon six-month rotation for chairmanship, which was set to begin on February 14, 2026.
Both the Salman-Misbah panel and the 'Monopoly Breakers' faction had secured an equal six seats each in the 12-member Committee of Management (CoM) following the February 14 elections. On March 4, an agreement was reached, granting Siddique the chairmanship from March 4 to August 19, with Dr. Sukhera notified as the chairman designate for the second half of the term, from August 20 to February 6, 2027.
Sources within the CoM revealed that the outgoing chairman convened a meeting with just two items on the agenda: approval of previous meeting minutes and assessment of annual earnings. Following the ordinary business, Siddique called for a vote by show of hands. However, instead of filing a vote of no confidence, the committee opted to directly vote in favor of Siddique, circumventing the opposition's right to assume control for the second half of the term.
A heated debate ensued during the meeting, causing considerable outrage among club members. The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that Dr. Ali Razzaque, the highest vote-getter, had aspired to become club chairman. After the election, he distanced himself from the Salman-Misbah panel and even began distancing himself from his group leaders after Dr. Sukhera was nominated as the chairman designate.
Dr. Jawad Sajid, the highest vote-getter, had proposed Dr. Razzaque as a candidate for chairman in the CoM's inaugural meeting. However, all group members were reluctant to endorse him as the candidate. Eventually, Mr. Sukhera seconded Dr. Razzaque's name, only for his candidature to be revoked. Subsequently, Mr. Sukhera was nominated as the chairman designate. This development was reported in Dawn on August 21, 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
