Karachi, October 2, 2023 – The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) announced the election of its new office bearers during the 62nd Annual General Meeting held at KCCI’s Auditorium. Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh has been elected as the new President, while Altaf Ghaffar and Tanveer Barry will serve as Senior Vice President and Vice President, respectively.
The announcement was made in the presence of Chairman of the Businessmen Group (BMG), Zubair Motiwala, Vice Chairmen of BMG, Tahir Khaliq, Haroon Farooki, Anjum Nisar, Jawed Bilwani, General Secretary of BMG, AQ Khalil, outgoing President Mohammed Tariq Yousuf, outgoing Senior Vice President Touseef Ahmed, outgoing Vice President Haris Agar, Managing Committee Members, former Presidents, and a large number of General Body Members.
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Chairman BMG Zubair Motiwala emphasized the importance of discipline, which is the first step on the road to success, and commended the hard work of the Businessmen Group in strengthening the Karachi Chamber. He noted that KCCI has emerged as the leading and strongest Chamber of Commerce in the country, and its recommendations are taken seriously at the federal and provincial levels.
Motiwala also expressed his appreciation for the KCCI members who participated in the elections this year and supported BMG candidates. He highlighted the passion and enthusiasm shown by BMG supporters, which resulted in a high voter turnout of around 3,000 voters.
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He acknowledged the retiring office bearers, Tariq Yousuf, Touseef Ahmed, and Haris Agar, for their outstanding work in managing KCCI’s affairs during a challenging economic environment. He mentioned that significant meetings and activities took place at KCCI, and even the Prime Minister visited KCCI multiple times, reflecting the chamber’s importance. He hoped that the newly elected office bearers would continue the good work and address various issues facing the business community.
Vice Chairman BMG Tahir Khaliq congratulated the newly elected office bearers and praised the achievements of the outgoing office bearers in ensuring maximum activities at KCCI.
Vice Chairman BMG Haroon Farooki emphasized the unity among BMG members, highlighting that the group has remained intact since its inception in 1998. He called for refraining from any conspiracies and expressed confidence in the newly elected office bearers’ ability to navigate the challenges ahead.
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Vice Chairman BMG Anjum Nisar acknowledged the difficulties faced during 2022-23 but commended the outgoing office bearers and managing committee members for their performance. He urged the new incumbents to tackle various challenges, including inflation, high interest rates, low FDI, circular debt, declining exports, stagnant remittances, and infrastructure issues.
Vice Chairman BMG Jawed Bilwani praised all BMG members for their efforts during KCCI’s elections, which resulted in another victory for BMG. He emphasized the significance of Karachi and called for unity to continue receiving special attention from the country’s top authorities.
General Secretary BMG AQ Khalil congratulated BMG Leadership and the newly elected Managing Committee for introducing electronic voting in KCCI’s elections, which encouraged an 88 percent voter turnout. He advocated for more IT-enabled initiatives to enhance KCCI’s performance.
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In his address, the newly elected President of KCCI, Iftikhar Sheikh, pledged to serve the business community diligently. He expressed his commitment to addressing the issues faced by businesses and assured that he would be readily available to provide assistance. Sheikh specifically mentioned his focus on resolving gas, electricity, water, and refund issues, along with addressing concerns related to shipping companies.
The election of these office bearers marks an important milestone for KCCI, and their leadership will be instrumental in addressing the challenges and opportunities faced by the business community in Karachi.
