Joint Efforts Show Progress, But Business Community Faces Growing Challenges, Warns Zubair Chhaya
and Altaf Ghaffar.
Karachi Chamber and KATI Must Address Shared Challenges through Unity, KATI President Johar
Qandhari.
KARACHI : Zubair Motiwala, Chairman of the Businessmen Group (BMG), emphasized that Pakistan’s
development hinges on industrialization and entrepreneurship during an event organized by the Korangi
Association of Trade and Industry (KATI). Addressing the gathering, Motiwala stated that the country
cannot advance without industrialization and that reducing production costs is essential for the nation
to compete in global markets.
He spoke at a function held in connection with the upcoming Karachi Chamber elections, attended by
prominent members of KATI and the business community, including KATI President Johar Qandhari,
Deputy Pattern in Chief, Zubair Chhaya, Senior Vice President Nighat Awan, Vice President Muslim
Mohammadi, Standing Committee Chairman Ehtshamuddin, Former President and Chairman Sheikh
Umar Rehan, Farhan-ur-Rehman, Farrukh Mazhar, Masood Naqi, BMG Vice Chairman Anjum Nisar,
Secretary AQ Khalil, Presidential candidate Javed Balwani, Zia-ul-Arifeen, Faisal Khalil Ahmed, Tanveer
Bari and other senior figures.
Motiwala also criticized the current economic environment, describing it as one of “de-industrialization”
and cautioning that limiting the export sector could hinder Pakistan’s ability to increase exports. He
called for a comprehensive report comparing production costs in Pakistan to those in neighboring
countries to identify areas where reductions could be made. Motiwala highlighted the government’s
export target of $15 billion for the coming year, with $7 billion designated for rice exports.
KATI President Johar Qandhari echoed Motiwala’s concerns, noting that Karachi’s industries face
discrimination despite contributing significantly to the national economy. He stressed the importance of
presenting the business community’s proposals to the government, particularly under Motiwala’s
leadership, to address Karachi’s deteriorating infrastructure and the lack of investment compared to
other cities. “Pakistan cannot achieve economic stability without focusing on Karachi,” Qandhari
warned.
Zubair Chhaya, BMG Deputy Patron-in-Chief, praised the longstanding relationship between KATI and
the BMG, noting that collaborative efforts have led to success in resolving many of the business
community’s issues. He also highlighted the contribution of Karachi to the national economy, with the
city accounting for 67% of exports and 55% of revenue despite the ongoing challenges.
Altaf Ghaffar, Acting President of the Karachi Chamber, urged unity among the business community to
tackle the growing sense of inferiority. He expressed hope that the unified leadership of the business
sector would soon find solutions to the problems facing Karachi’s industries.
