KARACHI: Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) & Former President Karachi Chamber Siraj Kassam Teli has announced that the contract for construction of Karachi Chamber’s new building in Clifton has finally been awarded to Times Group Pvt. Limited and the construction work will begin from next week which will be completed within the next one-and-a-half year.
“Each and every single aspect was thoroughly reviewed prior to finalizing the contract in which the contractor has quoted a sum of Rs480 million for the construction of KCCI’s new building”, Siraj Teli added while speaking at an internal meeting held at a reception hosted by him in honor of all BMGIANs who continued to extend nonstop support during the last 20 years of BMG at KCCI.
Vice Chairmen BMG & Former Presidents Zubair Motiwala, Haroon Farooki and Anjum Nisar, President KCCI Muffasar Atta Malik, Senior Vice President Abdul Basit Abdul Razzak, Vice President Rehan Hanif, all Former Presidents, Managing Committee members and around 300 BMGIANs attended the reception.
Congratulating BMGIANs on this milestone achievement, Siraj Teli said that keeping in view the expertise of Contractor, who has also constructed Bakht Tower in Clifton, and also the enormous experience of Architect Asad IA Khan, who architected Prime Minister House and many other projects, the construction work for KCCI Building will be completed within the given time period and it will certainly be an ideal building as everything in the building plan has been finalized after detailed analysis.
Chairman BMG, while paying glowing tribute to all the BMGIANs, particularly those who have been constantly supporting him since BMG came into existence in 1998, said “It has been a long time since we all united under one roof so I felt it necessary to arrange this reception in order to update all BMGIANs about the changes introduced at KCCI with a view to improve its functioning, besides discussing the current economic and law & order situation.”
He recalled that out of 20 elections held since 1998, 12 elections were triumphed unopposed by BMG candidates whereas the remaining 8 elections during initial years were contested by our opponents, which were really stiff but all the BMGIANs struggled a lot to seek support of voters by carrying out massive election campaigns and today, I see many of those faces who had always been there with us and fully supported us in all the elections”, Siraj Teli said.
“During all these years, we never carried out any misconduct or embezzled public’s money. It is only due to our honestly and sincerity that we remain in power at KCCI since 20 years which is a huge period. Although we don’t have any opponent contesting against us anymore, yet we continue to honestly and sincerely serve the business and industrial community with the same spirit and intent”, he added.
Siraj Teli stressed that ‘Public Service’ was, is and will always be their motto and they will continue to do something good for Karachi as done in the past on many occasions. “We will strive really hard to resolve the actual issues being faced by anyone without any discrimination between the poor or rich, member or non-member and friend or foe”.
He said that because of numerous initiatives, Karachi Chamber today is not what it had been in the past. Top class Research & Development Cell comprising of highly qualified staff works vigorously to compile numerous research reports whereas the Media Cell has also been improved which can gauged from the massive coverage being given to KCCI’s press releases by all newspapers.
Criticizing the illegal tenants of KCCI’s existing building, Siraj Teli informed that these occupants have illegally expanded their offices situated in KCCI’s building from just one to two rooms to 10, 12 and even 17 rooms by illegally carrying out deals prior to Businessmen Group’s arrival. These occupants were not paying any rent to KCCI and some petty amounts were being submitted at the Court. “We attempted to negotiate with them on many occasions during the last 20 years but to no avail, which left no other choice but to initiate legal action against them around one-and-a-half year ago. He said that these illegal occupants in connivance with the then Chairman ETPB hatched another conspiracy by filing a reference a year ago in which ETPB claimed the ownership of KCCI’s Building. Keeping in view the misuse of powers by Siddique ul Farooq, the Karachi Chamber wrote letters to the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and also to existing Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abassi in order to seek assistance in dealing with Ex-Chairman ETPB who continued to grossly favor the illegal occupants but unfortunately, no response was ever received from PM House and Ex-Chairman ETPB gave the decision against KCCI which was already being expected.
He said that the biased decision of Ex-Chairman ETPB was challenged in the honorable high court and it was a matter of satisfaction that the High Court immediately suspended ETPB’s impugned decision. “Everyone knows what happened to Siddique ul Farooq last week when the honorable Supreme Court removed him from his position which is exactly what he actually deserves”, he added. “We will not leave this building even after completion of KCCI’s new building and retain KCCI’s Offices in our possession until all the illegal occupants are expelled from Chamber’s premises. Otherwise these illegal occupants will surely take over KCCI’s offices as well once we leave this building”, he added.
