By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE: The upcoming Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Ali Hussam Asghar has thanked the traders, industrialists, entrepreneurs and particularly the young business community of Lahore for their confidence in the Vision Alliance, while acknowledging the leadership and efforts of Vision Alliance Chairman Mian Misbah Rehman, Founders Group Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim, Sohail Nisar and Nasir Hameed Khan in bringing different groups together.
In his first message after the election victory, Ali Hussam Asghar said the strong mandate received by the Vision Alliance had increased its responsibility to serve the business community and address issues affecting trade and industry.
He said the election result should not be viewed merely as an electoral achievement but as an expression of confidence by Lahore’s business community in a united approach towards addressing economic and commercial challenges.
Ali Hussam Asghar expressed particular gratitude to the traders and industrialists of Lahore who participated in the electoral process and supported the Vision Alliance.
He also thanked young businessmen and entrepreneurs, saying their participation was an important indication of the changing character of Lahore’s business community.
He said the younger generation was increasingly becoming involved in manufacturing, trading, exports, technology, services and entrepreneurship and deserved a stronger voice in the Chamber’s affairs.
Mian Misbah Rehman credited for bringing factions together
Ali Hussam Asghar particularly acknowledged the role of Vision Alliance Chairman Mian Misbah Rehman, saying he played an important role in bringing different factions of the business community together.
He said the alliance had succeeded in creating a common platform where groups with different backgrounds could work together around shared objectives.
He also thanked Founders Group Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim, Sohail Nisar and Nasir Hameed Khan for their cooperation and contribution towards strengthening unity within the business community.
Ali Hussam Asghar said the unity achieved under the Vision Alliance should continue after the elections and should translate into collective work for the business community.
“Our aim is one — the betterment and emancipation of trade and industry,” he said.
He said the alliance’s objective was not limited to winning an election but was to provide effective representation to traders, industrialists, exporters, importers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs.
According to him, the different groups within the business community had demonstrated that they could work together when they had a common purpose.
He said the newly elected leadership would maintain this unity and focus on issues affecting businesses rather than allowing differences to distract from the wider interests of trade and industry.
LCCI advocacy role needs to be restored
A major point raised by Ali Hussam Asghar was the need to strengthen the LCCI’s role as an advocacy organisation.
He said members of the business community had increasingly felt that the Chamber’s traditional advocacy role needed to be restored and strengthened.
“We all felt that the LCCI had given up its role of advocacy, and we need to restore it,” he said.
Ali Hussam Asghar said the LCCI had historically served as an important bridge between the private sector and government institutions.
He said the Chamber should actively communicate the concerns of traders and industrialists to policymakers and pursue those issues until meaningful responses were received.
He stressed that advocacy should not be limited to issuing statements or holding meetings but should involve sustained engagement with government departments and relevant institutions.
He said the LCCI should research business-related problems, consult its members and develop practical proposals that could be presented to policymakers.
Focus on urgent business issues
Ali Hussam Asghar said the new leadership would focus on issues of an urgent nature affecting traders and industrialists.
He specifically referred to concerns over what he described as undue registration of FIRs against members of the business community and concerns regarding aggressive enforcement actions by Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) personnel.
He said such matters would be raised with the relevant authorities and pursued through appropriate institutional channels.
Ali Hussam Asghar said the business community needed an environment in which legitimate commercial and industrial activities could continue without unnecessary disruption.
He said the Chamber should provide traders and industrialists with an institutional platform to raise grievances and seek their resolution through dialogue.
He stressed that the LCCI should remain engaged with government departments on regulatory and enforcement matters and should ensure that the concerns of its members were properly presented.
The newly elected president said the Chamber would seek constructive engagement with the authorities to resolve business-related disputes and prevent unnecessary complications for legitimate businesses.
Traders and industrialists at the centre
Ali Hussam Asghar said the LCCI’s primary responsibility was to represent its members.
He said traders and industrialists were contributing to employment, investment, exports and economic activity and therefore needed a Chamber that remained closely connected with their day-to-day challenges.
He said the business community faced a wide range of issues, including taxation, energy costs, regulatory requirements, access to finance, trade facilitation and difficulties related to business expansion.
He said the Chamber would need to engage continuously with government institutions on these matters.
Ali Hussam Asghar also called for greater communication between the LCCI leadership and its members.
He said regular consultations with traders and industrialists could help the Chamber identify problems at an early stage and formulate appropriate proposals.
He said the new leadership would seek input from different sectors and geographical areas of Lahore to ensure that the Chamber’s advocacy reflected the concerns of its wider membership.
Greater role for young entrepreneurs
Ali Hussam Asghar placed particular emphasis on the role of young businessmen and entrepreneurs in the future of Lahore’s economy.
He said the younger generation was bringing new ideas, technologies and business models into the marketplace and should have greater opportunities to participate in Chamber activities.
He said young entrepreneurs could play an important role in expanding exports, attracting investment, adopting technology and developing new markets.
The LCCI, he said, should create opportunities for young businesspeople to participate in policy discussions, trade delegations, business forums and other initiatives.
He said established business leaders could also help younger entrepreneurs through mentoring, networking and greater exposure to national and international markets.
Ali Hussam Asghar said the future strength of Lahore’s business community would depend partly on how effectively the next generation was integrated into its representative institutions.
Unity beyond the election
Ali Hussam Asghar said the Vision Alliance’s electoral success had demonstrated the importance of unity among different business groups.
He again thanked Mian Misbah Rehman for bringing factions together and acknowledged Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim, Sohail Nisar and Nasir Hameed Khan for their cooperation.
He said the alliance would have to maintain the same spirit of cooperation after the elections.
“The real responsibility begins after the election,” he said.
He said the confidence expressed by the business community should be converted into practical work and meaningful representation.
Ali Hussam Asghar said the newly elected leadership would work collectively and seek to avoid unnecessary divisions within the Chamber.
He said all elected representatives had a responsibility to contribute to the development of Lahore’s business environment.
He also thanked those who participated in the election but supported other groups, saying the LCCI represented the entire business community and not only members of one alliance.
Improving the business environment
Ali Hussam Asghar said a stronger business environment was essential for increasing investment, generating employment and expanding trade and industry.
He said businesses needed predictable policies, effective regulation and timely resolution of administrative issues.
He said the LCCI should continue engaging policymakers on matters that affect the cost of doing business and the competitiveness of Pakistani companies.
He also stressed the importance of trade and export growth and said the Chamber should facilitate greater interaction between local businesses and international markets.
According to him, Lahore’s traders and industrialists had the potential to make a greater contribution to economic growth if the business environment supported investment and expansion.
A commitment to representation
Ali Hussam Asghar said his election as LCCI president carried a responsibility to represent the interests of the wider business community.
He said he would remain accessible to traders, industrialists and entrepreneurs and would encourage members to bring their concerns to the Chamber.
He said urgent matters would be taken up through the appropriate forums while broader policy issues would be pursued through engagement with government institutions.
He reiterated that the LCCI should be a strong advocacy platform and an effective bridge between the private sector and policymakers.
Ali Hussam Asghar again expressed gratitude to Lahore’s business community for its support and thanked the Vision Alliance leadership for its role in the electoral success.
He said the contributions of Mian Misbah Rehman, Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim, Sohail Nisar and Nasir Hameed Khan would be remembered as part of the effort to bring different groups together.
He concluded by thanking the traders, industrialists, entrepreneurs and young members of Lahore’s business community for their confidence.
Ali Hussam Asghar said the new leadership would seek to honour that confidence through collective work, stronger advocacy and sustained engagement on the issues affecting trade and industry.
He said the objective would remain the same: to strengthen the voice of Lahore’s business community and contribute to an environment in which trade, industry, investment and entrepreneurship could grow.