KARACHI: Chairman Businessmen Group & Former President Karachi Chamber Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Siraj Kassam Teli has said that the opponents and their supporters were making attempts to damage the business environment which was not something new for BMG as all these three parties, who have extended support to our opponents, had made similar attempts in KCCI’s elections in 2001 and 2004 in which they faced terrible defeat thanks to the overwhelming support extended by majority of business and industrial community.
Speaking at a dinner reception hosted by a prominent business figure from the Construction Sector Asif Sumsum, Chairman BMG added, “Our opponents will once again face embarrassing defeat in this year’s election as well in which BMG candidates would triumph with huge margins.”
Vice Chairmen BMG Zubair Motiwala, Haroon Farooki and Anjum Nisar, Senior Vice President KCCI Abdul Basit Abdul Razzak, Former President AQ Khalil, KCCI’s Candidate for President’s slot Junaid Ismail Makda along with other BMG Candidates and a large number of prominent personalities from the Memon community and Members of Association of Builders & Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) were also present at the reception.
While rejecting the misleading, false and baseless allegations leveled against him during a recent press conference by the opponents, Siraj Teli said, “It sounded less a press conference and seemed just “Sirajphobia” in which negative remarks and those bad words were given against me which I don’t feel appropriate to repeat at today’s reception. If they have any personal enmity with me then instead of supporting candidates from behind, they should come in front and contest directly.”
Criticizing the opponents for excessive yelling on non-issues and leveling allegations against BMG, Siraj Teli said that the business and industrial community is not blind and they see everything very clearly. Everyone knows well who is who, who is genuine and who has dedicatedly strived for the well-being of business and industrial community.
Referring to opponent party’s ‘Change’ slogan, he asked that what change they want at KCCI which is an institution where everything is going on smoothly and they cannot prove corruption of a single penny either by Siraj Teli or by any other BMGIAN during the last 20 years. The term Tabdeeli (Change) was introduced by Imran Khan against the corruption of PML-N government, it simply cannot be used for winning KCCI’s election where everything is being carried out in a transparent manner.
Chairman BMG further stated that BMG’s matchless contribution from KCCI’s platform simply cannot be explained through words however he mentioned some major achievements including KCCI’s quest to urge the government to include revenue generation in NFC Awards during the tenure Shaukat Aziz’s tenure as Prime Minister, KCCI’s vibrant role played in response to Bolton Market and Timber Market tragedies, relief activities for victims of natural calamities, struggle for restoration of peace in Karachi, commencement of construction work of KCCI’s new Building in Clifton, consistent criticism over anti-business polices and many other initiatives which were taken for the wellbeing of the business community. During all these years, BMGIAN vocally raised voice for resolving numerous economic issues and actively intervened in every matter affecting this city and the business and industrial community, he added.
He stated that it was solely due to strong voice raised by Karachi Chamber that led to commencement of Karachi Operation in 2013 as not a single trade body or FPCCI raised voice against rising lawlessness the way Karachi Chamber did. In our struggle for improving the business climate of Karachi, KCCI strongly protested the anti-business policies in front of every single legislator and the example of Ishaq Dar is in front of all of us who immediately distanced himself from KCCI soon after the Chamber opposed his policies, particularly the massive discretionary powers illegally granted to FBR through Finance Bills each year.
He was of the opinion that BMG since its inception in 1998 has been constantly winning KCCI’s election without losing a single seat thanks to the overwhelming support extended by majority of the business and industrial community of Karachi whereas the election held during the last 11 years were won unopposed by BMGIANs. “We came to contest in KCCI Elections in 1998 after seeing many incorrect policies being followed at the Chamber which was the sole reason behind the formation of BMG. There never was, never is and never will be any personal enmity with anyone”, he added.
Siraj Teli said that BMGIANs dedicated a lot of precious time of their lives to Karachi Chamber and never took any funds from KCCI’s financial resources, besides serving Karachiites since day one under the clear policy of “Public Service”. In this regard, he mentioned that under BMG’s policy of Public Service, not only the business community but also all the citizens of Karachi are fully assisted without any discrimination of cast, color or creed. “We ensure participation of all communities in KCCI’s Affairs and the same can be gauged from the fact that not a single community can claim of any injustice done with them during the last 20 years”, he added.
He said that BMG has initiated massive election campaign not because of any fear of losing but only because of the Group’s intention to seek maximum voters’ turnout in election. “You have to stand up and be counted” Siraj Teli stressed, adding that keeping in view BMG’s exceptional performance and the role it played in resolving numerous economic and law & order issues, the business and industrial community would reject the opponent group and once again cast vote in BMG’s favor.
He advised the valuable voters to take just 15 minutes out of their schedule and visit KCCI on September 15, 2018 for casting votes where special arrangements have been made for parking inside Sindh Madressatul Islam University while smooth flow of traffic will also be ensured by traffic police and Police along with Rangers will remain deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident. He further requested voters to bring their original CNIC or Passport or Driving License to help KCCI Staff identify them while their signatures will also be duly verified by comparing them with specimen signatures available in KCCI records, which would certainly dismiss all the questions about rigging.