20

INTERNATIONAL

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Main: Rapt delegates listen to the widely respected godfather of Indias software industry, Dr Narayana Murthy, Founder Chairman, Infosys Technologies Ltd, talk on the need to cooperate to beat common problems; Above: Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee corrects the reference he earlier made to Shahrukh Khan (meaning Shahrukh Hasan of the Jang Group), as his fellow inaugural speakers join in the laughter that engulfed the auditorium. Above right: Panelists at the inaugural session

MD OUP Amena Sayid presents a book to Brij Mohan Lall Munjal, Founder Chairman of Hero Honda; his son Sunil Munjal, MD Hero Cycles and Humayun Bashir, MD IBM Pakistan share the moment; Left: Some of the conference participants during a session.

Irfan Mustafa, MD Yum Restaurants Intl makes a point before the media session

Times of India owner Sameer Jain and Shahrukh Hasan of the Jang Group share a light moment, attired in the Bohri caps that Mr Jain presented several guests with at an informal dinner at his residence, where the food was fab and the atmosphere chilled.

Speakers Asaad Ayub Ahmed, CEO, The Citizens Foundation and Mohsin Syed, Regional Director, North National Industrial Parks among the audience

In a conference that was beyond business as usual, there were many lighter moments

Educationist and philanthropist M. Yasin Malik, Group Chairman Hilton Pharma, studies the conference material

Journalists and editors of the Jang Group and Times of India Group bond over a YouTube video of Moin Akhtar and Anwar Maqsoods side-splittingly funny Bengali cook skit

Photos courtesy: Jehan Ara and Times of India

THE FIRST STEP LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

A peace initiative whose time has come... Destination Peace: A commitment by the Jang Group, Geo and The Times of India Group to create an enabling environment that brings the people of Pakistan and India closer together, contributing to genuine and durable peace with honour between our countries.

Feedback, contributions, photos, letters: Email: amankiasha@janggroup.com.pk Fax: +92-21-3241-8343 Post: Aman ki Asha c/o The News, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi

Chandrajit Banerjee DG, Chamber of Indian Industries

Former Finance Minster Dr Shahid Jawaid Burki chats with a guest at a reception held to honour the delegates

Arif Habib Chairman and CEO, Arif Habib Securities

Dr Saima Babar, Director, Mediators Private Ltd., with the hosts publication

Naishadh Parekh Advisor, Arvind Ltd

Asad Umar, CEO Engro Corp gave an energising talk on energy

Afaq A. Tiwana Chairman, Agrimall (Pvt.) Ltd

Ronak Lakhani Director, Zenaini Pvt. Ltd

Shahrukh Hasan Group Managing Director, Jang Group

Dr Shahid Javaid Burki Chairman, Institute of Public Policy

Ranjan Roy Senior Editor, The Times of India Group

Ravi Dhariwal CEO, The Times of India Group

Beyond business as usual T

he only way to peace, pronounced Vineet Jain, the young Managing Director of The Times of India Group, is commerce. He was speaking at the inaugural session of Aman ki Ashas ground-breaking trade and investment meeting held in Delhi, May 18-19, 2010. Attended by some fifty high-powered Pakistani delegates and a strong contingent of high-powered Indian businessmen, entrepreneurs and CEOs that filled the conference hall, the event was a resounding success that surpassed all expectations, if we say so ourselves. With the right kind of follow up, it could, as Shahrukh Hasan, Group Managing Director of the Jang Group put it, be a the start of a new chapter in our history. The presence and speeches of Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and Shahid Malik, Pakistans suave High Commissioner in New Delhi gave a real boost to the meeting, taking it beyond the level that most had expected. The heart-warming speeches and commitment of the other speakers, including Indian icons like Narayana Murthy, the godfather of Indias blooming software industry, Dr Brij Mohan Lall Munjal, the king of the two-wheeler industry, and Dr Naresh Trehan of Medanta The Medicity added to the optimism that permeated the entire conference. We must take trade to the front burner, said Mr Murthy. We need Indian and Pakistani scientists to work together to fight common diseases like malaria etc. I come from Kamalia (now Faisalabad district), Dr Munjal told participants. I have helped my counterparts there whenever I could. When Pakistans first bicycle was manufactured, I was there to see it roll out of the factory. I will always do what I can for any Pakistani. I have advised the government of India to unilaterally open trade for Pakistan, declared his son Sunil Munjal, MD Hero Cycles, and a top businessman in his own right. India should remove all non-tariff barriers and allow Pakistani entrepreneurs and businessmen access to the vast Indian market. We can review the process after some months and see what harm or good it has done. India has granted Pakistan most favoured nation (MFN) status but without textiles, which form 60 % of Pakistans expoerts. Pakistan uses this as a justification to deny India MFN status. Dr Trehan talked about the possibility of an Indo-Pak medical society and the need to organise a large, bilateral conference on a high-end medical level that he plans to host within the next year. There were so many other speakers, so much goodwill. We have reported most of what transpired in earlier pages (compiled at the Aman ki Asha website www.amankiasha.com). We hope you enjoy this page of the conference and its sidelines in pictures. Heres to more such events.

Wajid Jawad CEO, Associated Industries Pakistan

Amin Hashwani President Pakistan India CEOs Business Forum

Faiza Samee fashion designer and entrepreneur

Shahid Malik High Commissioner Pakistan, New Delhi

Vineet Jain MD, The Times of India Group