LAHORE, Dec 31: The Lahore High Court on Friday stopped Syed Ahmer Ali, alias Amir Shah, from acting as president of the People’s Unity of PIA employees’ union/collective bargaining agent (CBA).

Justice Ijazul Ahsan also restrained the management of PIA from utilising fund deducted from wages of its workers and not deposited in the account of its union.

The judge issued these directions on a petition filed by People’s Unity of PIA general-secretary Muhammad Ashraf. The petitioner, through his counsel M.A. Ghani, challenged the cabinet of the union allegedly brought by Senator Faisal Raza Abidi to protect PPP’s vested interests in PIA working as political in-charge of the airline’s affairs.

The petitioner submitted that bogus officials of the union backed by Senator Abidi were ousting the duly elected officials from its offices in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and other stations.

The petitioner said elections were held after every three years as per union’s constitution and his union cabinet headed by its duly elected president Kamran Chaudhry was genuine one which still had one year time after having completed two years in office.

He said Abidi did not wait for one year for new cabinet and violating union’s constitution selected a new cabinet of his own choice without holding elections.

He said Senator Abidi was appointed as in-charge political affairs of PIA employees by President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari through a notification on Aug 16, 2010.

The petitioner alleged that Abidi took advantage of the notification with the connivance of PIA management and hatched a conspiracy against CBA union and with the help of 30 outsiders ousted the duly elected officials of the union at Karachi Airport and put his own men at the offices of union by conducting a bogus poll.

The judge also sought reply from the PIA management and new cabinet president Ahmer Ali within one week.