CPBC Hosted a dinner in honor of Senator S. M Zafar from Pakistan
(Former, Minister of Law) Govt. of Pakistan, on March 4, 2007  

(L to R) Andy Merchant, Mr. Musa Javed Chauhan - the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Canada,
Senator S. M. Zafar and Mr. Tassaduq Hussain the Consul General Of Pakistan at Toronto


Mr. Imtiaz Seyid (Royal Bank), Mr. Atul Aujo (Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce)
Senator S. M. Zafar and Mr. Tassaduq Hussain - Consul General Of Pakistan at Toronto

Guests at the dinner with Senator S. M. Zafar and Samir Dossal - Director CPBC

CPBC particpated in the fund raising dinner for SIUT,
during the visit of Dr.Adib Rizvi (2nd from left in the picture below

CPBC Leads delegation to EXPO Pakistan

Prime Minister Of Pakistan Mr. Shaukat Aziz welcoming the CPBC delegates to Expo 2005
at the Governor's House. Seen on the occasion are federal minister of commerce
Mr. Humayun Akhtar and state minister Mr. Tariq Ikram

Report on Trade Mission Expo 2005

CPBC delegates participated in Expo 2005 February 2nd to the 5th in Karachi. The delegation comprised of the following:

1. Andy Merchant, President, CPBC
2. Mohammad Junaid Siddiqui, HSBC
3. Nadeem Mian, HSBC
4. Mohamed Karatella, ANP Yorkdale Ltd ( Pinstripe Menswear, 4YOu) - "State guest"
5. Mrs. Minisha Karatella, Urban Behavior Group
6. Chak Wai Cheng, President, Wing Son Garments, as guest of government of Pakistan
7. Calvin Lau, Wing Son Garments
8. Priscilla,Yuk Ying Wei, Wing Son Garments
9. William Herbert Elliott, President, B.I.L.D.O.N. Construction
10. Manuei Roderick Oracion Wisco, Managing Partner, WS Capital Partners
11. Amir Hooda, President, Anar Jewellers, as guest of government of Pakistan
12. Mukhtar Sumar, President, Sunshine Mills

Andy Merchant left on January 25th to make the preliminary arrangements and to arrange meetings and interviews for the networking of the delegates. The delegation arrived on Saturday January 29th and went on with their business the following day. The following events were arranged by CPBC:

• Sunday January 30th – Dinner hosted by Aqeel Dhedi Securities Group, a prominent asset management and investment company of Pakistan, at the Village Restaurant.
• Monday January 31st – Dinner hosted by Ghulam Mohammad, Director of GML, a large conglomerate consisting of several diversified industries.
• Tuesday February 1st – Dinner hosted by Aziz Memon, Honourary Consul for Surinam and President of King Group.
• Wednesday February 2nd – Lunch hosted by Mr. Javed Jabbar, former Senator and Minister, at the Boatclub.

Highlights of Expo:

The event was inaugurated by the President of Pakistan, General Musharraf on Wednesday evening, February 2nd. In his speech, the President gave a brief summary of the economic progress of Pakistan and the direction in which Pakistan was heading to alleviate poverty, enhance education and healthcare programs and create a pool of skilled workers to compete in the global market. Fireworks, dinner and music program followed the opening of the Expo. Mr. Chak Wai Cheng was also introduced earlier to the President of Pakistan during a one-to-one meeting.
On February 3rd, seminars were held at the Sheraton Hotel in the morning, where a number of speakers from overseas as well as the government officials made their presentations. In the evening the dinner was hosted at the Governor House followed by entertainment.
On February 4th, Andy Merchant and Amir Hooda were invited to meet with the Prime Minister, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, at the Governor House. Also present were the Governor and the Chief Minister of Sindh as well as the Minister of Commerce. Mr. Shaukat Aziz gave a briefing about his vision and talked about the economic prosperity of the country which shows all the positive indicators towards the economic growth of Pakistan. Dinner was held followed by entertainment at the Bara Dari.

CPBC arranged one-to-one meetings between the delegates and potential customers/suppliers as well as facilitated plant visits. The delegates found the climate favourable to do business in Pakistan and have come back with a positive attitude and willingness to make follow-up trips and investments.

On the 5th of February, the Expo ended officially. Andy Merchant left for Lahore to pursue CPBC business.

On the morning of the 7th, meetings were held as follows:

1. Meeting with the Canadian Commercial Officer, Asma Farooq
Asma has recently taken over the position of Commercial Officer in Lahore. She was briefed about the activities of CPBC. Asma assured Andy of her cooperation and support to facilitate the trade and arrange the following meetings for Andy:

2. Meeting with Mr. Afaq Tiwana, Chairman of Agrimall
There are tremendous opportunities for the Canadian companies in the Agro food sector to offer their expertise and products. Mr. Tiwana’s joint venture in Agrimall consists of the following companies:
a. Ali Akbar Group, suppliers of pesticides
b. Engro, suppliers of fertilizers
c. Millat, suppliers of tractors
d. PSO, suppliers of fuel
They are offering franchises to cater the entire needs of the farmers and have so far opened 50 franchises with the target to achieve 150 franchises in the near future.
Mr. Tiwana is also the Honourary Chairman of the Punjab Board of Horticulture. Matters were discussed on various subjects of technology transfer of preservation of plants and flowers as well as the refrigeration and transportation of fruits and vegetables. Also discussed were issues of export of beef from Canada.

3. Meeting with Mr. Yawar Ali, Honourary Consul for Canada
Mr. Yawar Ali, President of Nestle, was recently appointed as the Honourary Canadian Consul in Lahore. Nestle is one of the largest dairy product suppliers of Asia. Pakistan is the 6th largest milk producer in the world, having 15 million cows and 20 million buffalos, compared to 9 million cows in the US. However, the yield is far lower and hence they are looking for expertise in biotechnology, breeding technology and expertise to market products worldwide. Andy Merchant will be discussing the matter with the appropriate authorities of Industry Canada, the government Department of Agriculture in Ottawa and Guelph University, which has expertise in these fields.
Any member who can provide information or expertise and would like to be a part of the committee should contact Andy.

4. Meeting at the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad
Andy met with Jean-Stéphane Couture and with Her Excellency Margaret Huber, Canadian High Commissioner and briefed them about the current and future activities of the Council. The Council has always received a tremendous amount of moral support from the post and the excellent team of the commercial officers in Pakistan. Andy was reassured of the continued support to work hand in hand to promote the bilateral trade. The invitation extended by CPBC to the Minister of Railway and his possible visit in May as well as the appointment of Pan Asian Group as the headquarters of CPBC in Islamabad were also discussed among other matters.

5. Meeting with the Secretary, Ministry of Tourism
In order to promote the positive image of Pakistan Andy set up a meeting with Mr. Salim Gul Shaikh in Islamabad to see if the Ministry has any new material showing the modern face of Pakistan. Mr. Shaikh was very cordial and has promised to send the new information which he hopes to have in his hand by the end of February. He feels this will illustrate a different face of Pakistan to the world ready to compete in the 21st century. We would like to display some of this material at our forthcoming events.

6. Meeting with the Minister of Railway
In January, CPBC had extended an invitation to the Minister of Railway, Mian Shamim Haider, to visit Canada and explore the possibilities of doing business with Canadian companies to fulfill their requirements. Canada had supplied railway equipments in the 1950’s and 60’s and should be able to meet those requirements now as well. Also present at the meeting were Flight Lieutenant Syed Arshad Wasti, Liaison Officer and Engr. Imtiazul Haq, Managing Director. The Minister also mentioned about the development of housing for their employees in Karachi. This information has been passed on to Rod Wisco and Bill Elliott, who are both in the construction business and were part of the delegation and are eager to do business with Pakistan.

Any member who is interested in receiving more information should contact Andy.

CPBC Annual General Meeting held

Iftar reception for Javed Jabbar

BDC &CPBC Welcome New
Trade Comissioner and Consul General

Reception for H.E. Margret Huber

Reception for Parliamentarians from Pakistan

CPBC opens new
secretariat in Karachi

Other Highlights from 2004

Trade Mission to Pakistan
February 13-22,2004

CPBC organized a delegation comprising of the following members:
1) Andy Merchant, President, CPBC.
2) Hon. Sinclair Stevens, former Federal Minister of Industries.
3) Aida Viveiros, director, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
4) Naim Malik, Vice-President, NTG Clarity.
5) Khalid Awan, Chairman, TCS Express.
6) William Catalano, President, NTG Clarity.
7) Armughan Ahmad, Director, Emerging Markets, Enterasys Networks.
8) Samir Dossal, President, Linkks Canada.
9) Roger Gate, General Manager, MPM group of companies.

The delegates spent the Sunday at Bhurban where they had lunch at the PC hotel. On the way back they were given a tour of Islamabad. The trip was hosted by TCS Express. Accompanying the delegates was Mr. Ali Leghari, Senior Executive of TCS Express.
A private dinner was hosted by Dr. Abbas Dossal.

February 15th:
Meetings:

1) Board Of Investment: Presentation on Investment Opportunities
by the Chairman, Mr.Waseem Haqqie.
2) Fauji Foundation: Presentation on business entities of the Foundation
by the Managing Director, Lieutenant General Syed Muhammad Amjad followed by lunch.
3) Discussions with IT Secretary.
4) Discussion with CIDA counselor, Mr. Rolando Bahamondes, Canadian High Commission.
5) Visit to M/s Rastgar

Reception held by Her Excellency, Ms. Margaret Huber, High Commissioner for Canada.

February 16th
Meetings:

1) Minister of Commerce, Mr. Humayun Akhtar
2) Pakistan Railway
3) Asian Development Bank
4) Ministry of Petroleum
5) Signing of Agreement between Preston University and NTG Clarity

Delegates departed for Lahore.

Dinner hosted by National Engineers.

February 17th
Meetings:

1) NESPAK
2) National Engineers

Lunch hosted by Chairman, CPBC, Mr. Altaf Saleem.
Attended by leading businessmen, including Mr. Razak Dawood, former Minister of Commerce.

Address by delegates to Lahore Chamber of Commerce.

Reception hosted by Mr. Almas Hyder of Synthetic Products Enterprises Ltd
and attended by prominent businessmen.

Delegates departed for Karachi.

February 18th
Meetings:

1) Baluchistan Wheels
2) Ferguson
3) Delegates address FPCCI
4) National Bank of Pakistan

Dinner hosted by Mr. Khalid Rafi, of Ferguson at Sindh Club.

February 19th
Meetings:

1) International Chamber of Commerce
2) Honda

Lunch hosted by Mr. S.M. Munir, of Din Group.

Dinner hosted by Mr. Khalid Awan. Attendees included two former governors of Sindh, Ministers, leading business people and friends.

February 20th

Golf at Karsaz Country Club hosted by Mr. Rafique Dawood followed by lunch.
Boat ride, hosted by Mr. Ali Shirazee of Finex Securities.
Dinner hosted by Hadi Carpets. Attended by leading businessmen.
Delegates return to Canada.

Honorable Sinclair Stevens, former minister
of industries, speaking at FPCCI session

Canadian delegates at the FPCCI session

Audience at the FPCCI session




Delegates at the luncheon hosted by Mr. S.M. Munir at PC Hotel.
Among other guests were also present Hon. Consul General for
Canada Mr. Byram Avari and Mr. Majid Aziz, a prominent businessman

President Musharraf Receives Warm Welcome in Canada - Paints a Bright Picture of Pakistan

President Musharraf arrived in Ottawa on a 3 day state visit at the invitation of the Prime Minster of Canada, Mr. Jean Chretien on Sept. 24th, where he was given a rousing welcome. Several events were held in his honor including the address to the foreign affairs committee.

On the eve of the 24th, a dinner was hosted at the Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa by the High Commissioner of Pakistan, Mr. Shahid Malik, which was largely attended by the distinguished members of the Pakistani community. The President spoke about various issues and what was being done about it. Some matters close to the heart of the Pakistanis were: the law and order situation, education and health care, women's role in the society, relations with India and Israel, terrorism, minority rights, etc. The President spoke on these matters and explained how improvements were being made. He measured the progress which was made since he took over and asked people to judge the results themselves. He left the room with thundering applause.

The most impressive and convincing delivery, however, was made the following morning when the President addressed the Canadian Institute of Strategic Alliance and answered questions on various subjects relating to Pakistan's role after 9-11, specifically issues of terrorism and shaping its foreign policy in lieu of a nuclear state neighbouring another new nuclear state, where the relationship deserves a lot to be desired. The relationship with U.S. and other western countries were also discussed. The President emphasized that no peace can be acquired until the west and aggressive nations bring justice to the people in the region. He also spoke about the economic progress of Pakistan, where the nation is making headways in the right directions. With the exports surpassing the ten billion dollar mark, the rupee stable, foreign investment on the rise, and the foreign reserves exceeding eleven billion dollars, the country is financially in "good health." Although, Pakistan needs to make a giant leap in social and other infrastructure sectors, the fundamentals for a strong economy are shaping up. Hopefully, with the economic stability, the political and social stability will follow.

On the 25th, the Prime Minister of Canada, laid out the red carpet at the dinner for President and Mrs. Musharraf at the National Art Gallery. The President, in his speech extended the invitation to the Prime Minister to visit Pakistan. The Prime Minister is expected to visit Afghanistan and India later this year. We hope that Mr. Chretien will accept the invitation. Andy Merchant, and a few other members of the Business Council were among the guests who attended all the three above events.

CPBC Welcomes New Members

1. NTG Clarity Networks
2. Texstyles International
3. Millennium Precision Machining
4. Logitek Technology
5. Inforica Inc.
6. Horn Plastics Inc.
7. Sunshine Mills Inc.
8. Midas Safety Inc.
9. IBEX Enterprises Inc.
10. Somani Holdings
11. Desboro Holdings Inc.
12. Quality Inn Suites
13. Kingsgate Wealth Management Services
14. R.A. Kaleemi
15. Inayat Sheriff

The Honourable Allan Rock Visits Pakistan . . .

On October 10, Mr. Allan Rock, Minister for Industries& Trade,Canada and three of his staff members left for Pakistan with M.P from Winnipeg, Mr. Raymond Seymour and a small group of Businessmen including Mr. Andy Merchant, President of CPBC, and Mr. Samir Dossal, Director of CPBC.

Joining the group in Pakistan which had left with earlier flights were Mr. Qam Siddiqui, V.P. Trivision Electronics, Noor Zehra, President of JIBA, Khalid Awan, chairman TCS Express and Shirley Townsend of Ontario Exports Inc all members of the Business Council.

The group arrived in Islamabad on the evening of the 11th. where they were received by the Canadian High Commissioner, Ms. Margaret Huber and her staff. They were taken right away to the Canadian Club where they were greeted by other Canadian officials.

On Sunday afternoon, the Minister officially opened the Nortel facilities. A private dinner was arranged at the residence of the High Commissioner where the Minister had the opportunity to meet with representatives of BATA and other guests doing business with Canada.

On Monday, the Minister held private meetings with his host, Mr.Liaquat Jatoi, Minister for Industries, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, Minister for finance, And the Interior minister, Mr. Saleh Hayatt. A lunch was hosted in Mr. Rock's honour by Mr. Liaquat Jatoi.

In the evening, The Canadian H.C. held a reception which was largely attended by leading businessmen, ministers, & politicians. A former senator Mr. Akram Sultan, now Vice Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce and Mohammad Mian Soomro, Chairman of the Senate, also graced the occasion with their presence.

Early Tuesday morning, the visitors left for Lahore where they were greeted at LUMS by the Chancellor Mr. Syed Babar Ali..The students had the opportunity to interact with the Minister & ask him questions. The guests at the lunch included Mr. Razzak Dawood, former Minister of Commerce, leading businessmen and bureaucrats.

In the afternoon the Minister addressed the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and then proceeded for Karachi in the evening.

The same evening. Mr. Byram Avari, Honorary Consul for Canada, hosted a reception which was largely attended by the Who's Who of Karachi.

The next morning, the Minister met with a few businessmen interested in investing in Canada as well as the Managing Directory of APIA to promote the sales of the Bombardier planes. The Minister also witnessed the signing ceremony between CPBC& the FPCCI .

Finally the Minister visited the Aga Khan University before leaving for India. The Minister left a strong footprint of his ability and a positive image of Canada.

MOU Signing ceremony between PBC & FPCCI

The MoU has envisaged encouraging and facilitating cooperation in trade and investment and establish effective means of communication between industry and commerce among the membership of the two organizations.

On this occasion Mr. Rock stated that in order to enhance the volume of bilateral trade between Canada and Pakistan joint ventures (JVs) are being sought in the areas of oil & gas exploration and telecommunications sector.

He said that the current volume of trade between the two countries was very low despite the long-standing friendly ties of Canada and Pakistan. "The signing of MoU is really a clear indication of growing business ties between Canada and Pakistan," Allan hoped. He said Canada is very keen to enhance its volume of trade with Pakistan, adding that both the countries have inspired with their improving economies.

The minister hoped that Canadian technology coupled with Pakistani professionals could be a good combination in various fields especially in telecommunications. He cited a number of areas including education, food & agriculture, healthcare and transportation for JVs.
Rock said there was a clear message for Canadian business community that Pakistan has opened up for business, with very shining trade and investment opportunities.

He said that more than 200,000 Pakistani Canadians working on important positions and had significant contribution to Canadian economy.

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CPBC Donates Funds for Daniel Pearl Scholarship

The family of the slain journalist, Daniel Pearl, requested the Pakistani Canadian community to donate funds towards a scholarship in Pearl's memory. It is hoped that such a gesture would help build bridges and create a better understanding between human beings. A Pakistani journalist who will qualify on the merit basis will attend a Canadian University and will also be trained at CBC for a six month period. CPBC donated four thousand dollars towards this cause.

Canadian High Commissioners Express Views of South Asia Region

On Feb. 28/03, South Asian Business Council Alliance (SABCA), a group of business organizations promoting business in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri-Lanka and Nepal, invited Canadian High Commissioners posted in the above countries to address the audience at the seminar and discuss issues and concerns in the South Asia region.

David Crane of Toronto Star moderated the High Commissioner Round Table. In his opening remarks, he said that such an event would help build relationships, increase knowledge and offer insights on the politics and socio-economics of the region. The business community can help build bridges between countries. He also commented on the increased visibility of talented people with high level of education in the region. The following High Commissioners were present:

1. Gerry Campbell - Bangladesh
2. Valerie Raymond - Sri-Lanka
3. Peter Sutherland - India and Nepal
4. Jim Junke, of DFAIT, represented Pakistan in the absence of Mr. Konrad Segurdsen

The message was quite similar from each speaker as there is a common thread of social injustice, poverty, law and order situation, lack of investment not enough to create new jobs to meet the needs and challenges of the growing population. However, with the growing middle and educated class (15-20% in each country), there is a potential for Canadian businesses to look beyond south of the border. However, the Asian markets are not for the faint hearts. It requires a long-term commitment, proper homework, have a niche product, find the right partner and have deep pockets. Once the entry is successful, the rewards can be many folds.

After the question and answer period, it was unanimously agreed upon, that the road to peace and stability will come only through increased trade activities. It was also observed that Canada could play a vital role in the gas and oil exploration as both Bangladesh and Pakistan have untapped resources in abundance.

The fact is that there is a big role for Canada to play in South Asia. However, it finally boils down to, "not what is promised, but what is implemented." It was suggested, that such an event should be held every year.

Minister of Commerce, Mr. Humayun Akhtar visits Canada

At the invitation of Mr. Pettigrew to attend the pre-WTO Conference in Canada in July, Mr. Humayun Akhtar made a stopover in Toronto. CPBC organized a briefing session and introduced the Minister to several leading businessmen with whom he had a one to one meeting. Some companies had vital interest in doing business with Pakistan. The seminar was arranged at the Ontario Investment Centre, BCE Place. The agenda was as follows:
1. Welcome address by Andy Merchant and introduction of the Minister and his team.
2. Presentation by Industry Canada.
3. Presentation by Canadian Commercial Corporation.
4. Presentation by Ontario Exports.
5. Presentation by the Minister.
6. Word of thanks by Mr. Khalid Awan

The meeting was followed by a lunch hosted by the High Commissioner, Mr. Shahid Malik, which was attended by leading businessmen and community leaders.