APTMA says business leadership can turn country into an ‘economic power’

LAHORE: While stressing the unity of the business community, Patron-in-Chief Aptma Dr Gohar Ejaz has said that the business leadership has the potential to make Pakistan “economic power”.

He was speaking at a reception organized in the honour of PIAF Founders LBF Alliance candidates on Tuesday where Aptma North extended all-out support to the PIAF Founders LBF Alliance in the upcoming Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) elections 2024-26.

Patron-in-Chief United Business Group (UBG) S M Tanveer was also present on the occasion.

Dr Gohar Ejaz said a country can only be powerful if it has strong army and a strong economy. Pakistan has a strong army and the business community is dreaming of securing a strong economy by forging alliances right from the FPCCI to Chambers and Associations.

He said the country’s exports would have been $60 billion today had the business community decided to forge unity 10 years back. He said the business community has a new leadership in the form of S M Tanveer who has united the business community countrywide and secured two-third majority in the FPCCI elections.

Dr Gohar emphasized that the unity shown by the business community at the platform of Aptma would go long to make Pakistan economically strong. He said it is his dream to make Pakistan a lender country in the next 10 years. He said his slogan is “Pakistan First” and added that the whole business community would leave no stone unturned in achieving the goal.

He also nominated Kamran Arshad for the office central Chairman Aptma and Asad Shafi for the office of Aptma North on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Tanveer urged the government to reduce the interest rates by 4 percent in the next Monetary Policy.

He said that the interest rate at 19.5 percent has become positive by 10 percent as year-on-year (YOY) inflation in August 2024 stood at 9.6 percent compared to 27.4 percent in August 2023.

According to him, the country has passed through challenging situation in the past two years due to the highest inflation in the region, mainly caused by currency devaluations, resulting into fall in the exchange rate Rs 170 to Rs 280 per dollar and Interest rates increased from 9 percent to 22 percent.

“Pakistan has a great future ahead. We must let the economy grow and ensure this journey succeeds through strategic planning and development. Finally, we need to develop an economic roadmap for every sector of our economy for the next 10 years and follow through to take our country, Pakistan, where it belongs,” Tanveer added.

Earlier, Chairman Aptma North Kamran Arshad, Senior Vice Chairman Asad Shafi and Secretary General Mohammad Raza Baqir, along with senior Aptma leadership, welcomed the Alliance leadership at the Aptma office.

The PIAF Founders LBF Alliance leadership, including Mian Sohail Nisar, Chairman Alliance, Senator Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Chairman PIAF, Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman, Chairman Founders, Muhammad Amjad Chaudhry, Chairman Lahore Business Front (LBF), Sheikh Muhammad Asif, former President LCCI, Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, former President LCCI & FPCCI attended the reception along with the election candidates and senior leaders of the Alliance.

All the Corporate Class candidates of the Alliance were introduced to the Aptma members on the occasion with a request to vote for them.

Chairman Aptma North Kamran Arshad, Senior Vice Chairman Mr Asad Shafi, Chairman Alliance Mian Sohail Nizar, Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Amjad Chaudhry, Vice Chairman FPCCI Zaki Ijaz, Mian Shafqat Mahmood, and other senior leaders of both sides also spoke on the occasion.

The Alliance leadership thanked the Aptma and UBG leadership for extending their support in the upcoming LCCI elections. They said the whole business community has strong confidence on the leadership of Dr Gohar Ejaz, hoping that he would secure a business-friendly policy from the government to foster business, exports, investment and employment in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024