Ghulam Murtaza, a distinguished veteran in trade organizations transitioned from his role at PAAPAM to become the Secretary-General of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI). GM’s significant and far-reaching contributions to Pakistan’s engineering manufacturing and auto parts industry were celebrated during a grand dinner in Lahore, where PAAPAM recognized its exceptional service to the engineering community.
PAAPAM’s seasoned leader and Acting Chairman, Mumshad Ali, Acting Senior Vice Chairman, Tufique Sherwani, and Former Chairmen, Usman Aslam Malik and Rehan Riaz commended GM’s tenure, appreciated his services and extended their best wishes for his continued success in his new position.
A large assembly of PAAPAM’s senior and executive members, conveners of the standing committees, and general body members gathered in Lahore to participate in the dinner. This included former Chairmen Syed Nabeel Hashmi, Abdur Razaq Gauhar, Razzaq Ahmed, Cat (R) Muhammad Akram, and Iftikhar Ahmed.
During the event, Anas Haroon and Muskan Asif presented a detailed account of PAAPAM’s numerous achievements over the past year, highlighting the association’s progress and impact.
Rehan Riaz, the convener of the highly successful Pakistan Auto Show (PAPS), shared exciting updates on the upcoming 19th edition of PAPS. He revealed that a significant portion of the show had already been sold out, a testament to the event’s popularity, and announced the participation of many international exhibitors, including those from Iran, China, and Turkey.
The inclusion of Turkish companies for the first time is a significant development, elevating the profile of the esteemed PAPS event scheduled for October 27-29, 2024.
Convener Rehan further mentioned that several renowned Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as Kia, Hyundai, Saazgar, New Asia, and Suzuki have confirmed their participation. The Pakistan Auto Show, which alternates annually between Lahore and Karachi, witnessed an impressive turnout in its last edition in Karachi, attracting a large number of exhibitors, trade delegates, the engineering community, and hundreds of thousands of attendees.
PAAPAM veteran Usman Aslam Malik informed the members that good news is on the horizon and makers should not be disheartened. According to reports, the growth of the auto sector is estimated to be about 5%, and the green tractor scheme is expected to have a significant and positive impact on the auto and vending industry.
He emphasized that PAAPAM was enabling its members to enter the global market, and now it is up to the members to seize their opportunities. Now the Gross Domestic Product of Pakistan is at 2% compared to the previous year when it was negative, again a good economic indicator for the country, said Mr. Mumshad Ali, the acting chairman of PAAPAM. Mumshad Ali and the former chairmen of PAAPAM also presented a memento to Ghulam Murtaza at this occasion.
In his farewell speech, GM lauded PAAPAM as the country’s model business support organization.
He extended his profound gratitude to the office bearers, Executive Committee, general body members, and former chairpersons for their unconditional support and warm farewell.
