TEXT: Congratulations to CFA Society Pakistan on successfully hosting the 20th Annual Excellence Awards. These awards reflect the hard work and commitment of the winners and runner ups. I hope that they continue to endeavor for excellence.

CFA® Charter holders are highly distinguished professionals, who form an integral part of the analyst community in Pakistan. Despite the ongoing brain drain, I am hopeful about the large community of talented individuals who still reside in Pakistan.

The importance of professional bodies like CFA Society Pakistan who work to bring best practices, engage with stakeholders and educate the financial community for the advancement of the profession needs an acknowledgement.

I would like to add that a major reason why we are unable to benefit from the prospects in our country is that there is a disconnect between those who are responsible for decision and policy making in Islamabad and those who provide ideas to implement, in business hubs such as Karachi. Developing an independent think tank that can provide unbiased, research-backed insights to policymakers is the need of the hour and I look forward to the role organizations such as CFA Society Pakistan can play in this regard.

Congratulations once again to all award winners and nominees and to the Society on its efforts to promote excellence and best practices in the industry.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023