ISLAMABAD - In order to attract new investment and to facilitate existing industry, government on Thursday constituted council of business leaders.
According to the notification, the council will have 22 members including the chairperson, prime minister. Advisor to the prime minister on commerce will be the president of the newly formed body.
Its members include Muhammad Ali Tabba, Bashir Ali Muhammad, Shahid Soorty, Musadaq Zulqarnain, Seema Aziz, Azam Farooq, Shahid Abdullah, Khawar Anwar Raja, Baber Badat, Miss Naz Khan, Abrar Hasan, Saqib Shirazi, Shahid Hussain, Usman Khalid Waheed, Samina Rizwan, Almas Haider, Afaq A. Tiwana, Asif peer, Zarak Khan, and Abul Rauf.
Muhammad Ali Tabba is from Lucky Cement, Bashir Ali Muhammad from Gul Ahmed Textiles, Shahid Soorty from Soorty Enterprises, Musadaq Zulqarnain from Interloop Holding, Seema Aziz from Breeze, Azam Farooq from Cherat Cement Company KP, Shahid Abdullah from Sapphire Textiles, Khawar Anwar Raja from GOC, Baber Badat from Ttansfreight Corporation, Ms Naz Khan from X-petroleum, Abrar Hasan from National Food, Saqib Shirazi from Atlas Honda, Shahid Hussain from Service Sale Corporation, and Usman Khalid Waheed is from Frozsons.
Samina Rizwan is from Oracle Corporation, Almas Haider from Synthetic Products, Afaq A Tiwana from Agrimall, Asif Peer from Vision Systems, Zarak Khan from Peshawar Particle Board, while Abul Rauf is from Farooq Ghee and Oil mills.
According to the notification, the council of business leaders will ensure that Pakistani business leaders have access to structured forum to provide feedback on government's business, economic, investment and tariff policies.
It would also be job of new body to see that policy makers benefit from diverse set of opinion to assist in the formulation and implementation of government's agenda with respect to creating jobs, boosting exports, increasing investment, enhancing ease of doing business, and encouraging overseas Pakistanis.
As per the order, secretary commerce will be the secretary of the committee of council of business leaders.
The move seems to control the business community of the country as there has been no representation from SMEs and only rich billionaires have been inducted in the new council, majority of whom are already member of Pakistan Business Council, an un-elected organsiation.
The export sector participation is exceptionally low as only one member Soorty is associated with exports. Small and medium enterprises known as the driving force of any economy have also been neglected.