LAHORE: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Patron-in-Chief Dr Gohar Ejaz has stressed the need for strengthening the unity among the business community, terming it crucial for driving Pakistan towards becoming an economic powerhouse.
Speaking at a reception for the PIAF Founders LBF Alliance candidates, Dr Ejaz highlighted the business community’s crucial role in building a strong economy, likening it to the nation’s robust military.
Dr Ejaz criticised the failure to capitalise on previous opportunities for unity, suggesting that Pakistan could have achieved $60 billion in exports had the business community united a decade ago.
He praised the new leadership, particularly S M Tanveer of the United Business Group (UBG), for uniting the business sector and securing a significant majority in the FPCCI elections.
He also shared his vision of transforming Pakistan into a lending nation within the next decade, underlining his “Pakistan First” mantra.
Dr Ejaz nominated Kamran Arshad and Asad Shafi for key positions within Aptma and urged the business community to vigorously pursue this goal.
S M Tanveer, also present at the event, called for a 4pc reduction in interest rates in the upcoming Monetary Policy to boost economic growth, saying that despite recent high inflation, Pakistan has a bright future, provided strategic planning and development are prioritised.
The event introduced the Alliance candidates to Aptma members, with senior leaders from both sides pledging to support a business-friendly environment in the upcoming Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) elections.
Among the prominent attendees were Mian Sohail Nisar, Senator Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman, and Muhammad Amjad Chaudhry, all of whom expressed confidence in Dr Ejaz’s leadership and the potential for positive change in Pakistan’s business landscape. -PR
