LAHORE – The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) is refusing membership to the millers hailing from Balochistan to manipulate elections.The Awaz Group, which has won the 2011-12 elections of the PFMA and is presently ruling the Association, is trying its best to keep members of the largest province by area, out of polls being held on Sept 23. The PFMA elections for 2012-13 is important for Balochistan, as the turn for next central chairman is now from this province and the ruling group is using tactics to keep the members of rival groups out of polls to ensure the victory. Interestingly, the election commission constituted by the PFMA currently ruling Awaz Group, has stopped those noted millers from casting votes, who have been central chairman twice.Abdul Ali Kakar, the owner of Iqra Flour Mills in Balochistan, said that he has remained the central chairman of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association, but he is being ignored and refused membership. He said that election commission has issued the list of just 25 members from Balochistan while the real numbers are over 52, which are currently operating their mills in the province. He said election commission is supporting the ruling group and refusing rest of 27 millers of membership belonging to the Founder Group, as they cannot win the slot of provincial chairmanship. Resultantly, they will lose the slot of central chairman of the Association.He said that 27 mills which are letting not to cast vote, are the top flour mills of the province but unfortunately they belong to Founder Group. For example, Haji Sarwar, M/s Farooq Flour Mills in Quetta, has been the central chairman twice but he was not given membership. Haji Khawaj Muhammad, the owner of Adil Flour Mills, has also been two-time central chairman but he was also barred from casting vote. Fateh Muhammad Agha of National Flour Mills has been central chairman of the PFMA but his membership was also rejected by the biased election commission.He said that all 27 members, whose voting power is being denied, has approached the centre and pleaded to get the power of casting vote, but no one is listening to them, as they are all partial. He said that Punjab provincial office, which is also working as a central office too has become total partial, as the secretary Mr Munir, sitting in this office, is openly supporting the members of Awaz Group. The former PFMA central chairman threatened to go to the court for justice and for the revival of their membership. He vowed that all members will fight against the monopoly of Punjab.  When contacted, the Awaz Group chief Sheikh Asim Raza Ahmed told The Nation, that several millers’ membership has been cancelled for not submitting Association’s annual fee for the last many years.It is to be noted that the Association has announced the election schedule for 2012-13 on July 14 while election commission was formed on July 16, comprising Mehar Farooq (Firdous Flour Mill Sheikhupura) as election commissioner, Raza Abbas (Rehmat Flour Mill Lahore) as member of election commission and Tariq Khan (Haq Bahoo Flour Mill Pishawar) also as member of election commission.The election commission has issued the final voter list on Aug 7 while the final list of contesting candidate will be issued on Sept 3 and election will be held on Sept 23.