BADAR DURREZ AHMED, J.

( 1 ) IN this petition under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (hereinafter referred to as 'the said Act'), the petitioner is seeking directions and / or orders restraining the respondent from employing any person who is, or has been employed with the petitioner, during the pendency of arbitral proceedings. This prayer emanates from the Canvassing Representative agreement said to have been entered into by and between the petitioner and the respondent in January, 2002. The relationship between the petitioner and the respondent is that of a distributor and principal and has subsisted for almost 17 years which has been renewed from time-to-time. The last of the documents delineating the relationship between the parties is said to be the Canvassing representative Agreement entered into in January, 2002. This agreement is said to have taken effect on 1. 1. 2002 and was to operate til! 31. 12. 2002. It is alleged by the petitioner that, subsequently, by virtue of a letter dated 24. 5. 2004 (Annexure-P-3), the terms and conditions of the said agreement of 2002 were extended by another two year period commencing from 1. 1. 2004 and ending with