BMG, BMP unite to field Motiwala for FPCCI presidency
KARACHI (Staff Report): In a significant realignment ahead of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) elections, the Businessmen Group (BMG) and Businessmen Panel (BMP) have joined hands to form a national-level alliance, announcing Zubair Motiwala as their joint candidate for the federation’s presidency.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Thursday, attended by BMG Chairman Zubair Motiwala, BMP Chairman Anjum Nisar, Karachi Chamber President Talat Mahmood and other business community leaders.
The newly formed alliance, named the Pakistan Businessmen Alliance, aims to contest the December 17 FPCCI elections on a common platform, with its leadership promising to pursue a national economic agenda beyond provincial and regional divisions.
Announcing the alliance, Motiwala said both groups had agreed to work together from Thursday, adding that their objective was to strengthen Pakistan’s economy and encourage domestic investment.
“Our agenda is the national economy, not anything else,” he said, arguing that Pakistani investors should be encouraged to invest within the country rather than move their capital abroad.
The alliance’s announcement comes amid growing differences over the representation of Karachi in the FPCCI leadership and allegations concerning the federation’s electoral process.
Motiwala maintained that Karachi deserved the opportunity to lead the federation this time, questioning the choice of the presidential candidate backed by the United Business Group (UBG).
He argued that the UBG candidate do not belong to Karachi and had previously served in Punjab’s provincial cabinet.
“Why can you not wait for Punjab’s turn?” Motiwala questioned, insisting that Karachi’s business community had a legitimate claim to the presidency.
He also recalled that Karachi Chamber predated the establishment of FPCCI, expressing resentment over what he described as an insult to KCCI after the federation allegedly termed its membership certificates bogus.
Motiwala said FPCCI had rejected their membership certificates by declaring them bogus, a decision he strongly condemned.
He added that the alliance had approached the election commission and would take the matter to the Directorate General of Trade Organizations (DGTO) if the issue remained unresolved.
The dispute over membership certificates has emerged as another point of contention ahead of the elections, potentially adding a regulatory dimension to the contest.
Motiwala also called for reforms in the federation’s electoral arrangements, demanding that Karachi Chamber representatives be included in the election commission. He proposed appointing a retired judge to head the commission to ensure impartiality.
BMP Chairman Anjum Nisar also criticized the existing electoral arrangements, alleging that irregularities in the upcoming federation elections were unprecedented.
He expressed reservations about the impartiality of the election commission and FPCCI Secretary General, saying the alliance could not expect justice from the existing arrangements.
Nisar further alleged that FPCCI had deteriorated over the past three years, claiming that the federation was facing financial difficulties and lacked sufficient funds to pay employees’ salaries.
He argued that the federation was an institutional platform representing the country’s business community and should not be operated like a private business.
“Federation House is an institution and should not be run like a personal business,” he said.
Nisar also criticized what he described as the concentration of key positions within UBG’s electoral arrangements in Punjab, alleging that Karachi was approached primarily when the federation’s elections came around.
On the economic front, the newly formed alliance indicated that industrial protection, domestic investment and export growth would feature prominently in its agenda.
Nisar criticised Pakistan’s independent power producer (IPP) arrangements and free trade agreements, arguing that they had adversely affected the country’s industrial competitiveness. He also referred to US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, saying Pakistan should adopt measures to protect its domestic industries.
Motiwala, meanwhile, highlighted his engagement with export promotion initiatives, claiming that he had personally worked with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to increase agricultural exports by $3 billion annually, taking them to $8 billion.
He also cited the relocation of the PRAL office from Islamabad to Karachi as an example of efforts to strengthen the city’s economic role.
Another issue raised during the press conference was the business community’s concerns over Sections 37A and 37B during the FY26 budget process. Motiwala credited former Karachi Chamber president Jawed Bilwani with helping resolve the matter, arguing that the issue should originally have been addressed by FPCCI.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Chinoy, a leader of UBG, maintained that FPCCI was a business institution and should be operated accordingly. He described the attempt to deny Sindh its turn in the federation’s leadership as unfortunate and expressed confidence that his group would win the December 17 elections.
The formation of the Pakistan Businessmen Alliance adds a new dimension to the upcoming FPCCI elections, bringing two business groups together under a common presidential candidate and placing questions of regional representation, electoral transparency and institutional governance at the centre of the contest.
The federation’s response to the membership certificate allegations and the concerns raised over its election arrangements could become important issues as the electoral process moves forward.