FPCCI Polls: UBG-BMPP unite to challenge BMG-BMP alliance
KARACHI (Staff Report): Business politics ahead of the upcoming Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) elections has taken a significant turn as the United Business Group (UBG) and Businessmen Panel Progressive (BMPP) have renewed their alliance, joining forces to support S.M. Tanveer as their candidate for the FPCCI presidency for 2027-28.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference at the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), attended by UBG Patron-in-Chief S.M. Tanveer, BMPP Chairman Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, UBG President Zubair Tufail, UBG Sindh President Khalid Tawab, and ABAD Chairman Hanif Gohar.
The alliance comes ahead of the FPCCI elections and is expected to shape the contest against the rival Businessmen Group (BMG) and Businessmen Panel (BMP) alliance.
Addressing the press conference, S.M. Tanveer dismissed reports of differences between UBG and BMPP, particularly speculation that Saquib Fayyaz Magoon had parted ways with the group.
He said the reports were baseless and clarified that Magoon remained part of their political alliance. He maintained that both groups were united and fully prepared for the upcoming FPCCI electoral contest.
Tanveer also claimed that UBG enjoyed support across all provinces, including Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as Islamabad. He further claimed that, with the exception of one chamber in Sindh, all chambers in interior Sindh supported UBG.
BMPP Chairman Saqib Fayyaz Magoon said his group was established in 2023 with the objective of improving FPCCI’s affairs and strengthening the federation’s standing at the national level.
He recalled that BMPP had entered an alliance with UBG to contest the 2024 elections, adding that both groups had now reviewed their partnership and decided to continue working together.
Magoon formally announced support for S.M. Tanveer for the FPCCI presidency for 2027-28, saying both groups shared a common manifesto.
He said the alliance’s priority was to ensure respect and representation for members of the FPCCI Executive Committee and General Body.
UBG Sindh Chairman Khalid Tawab rejected reports of strained relations between the two groups, describing them as rumours. He also dismissed questions surrounding Tanveer’s association with Karachi, arguing that his business interests and family connections were firmly linked to the city.
ABAD Chairman Hanif Gohar also defended Tanveer’s Karachi credentials, saying he had been a member of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry for around 20 years. He questioned why Tanveer’s membership had been accepted if his association with Karachi was being challenged.
Meanwhile, UBG President Zubair Tufail praised Tanveer’s work over the past three years, saying his efforts were beyond what rival figures could imagine.
With the renewed alliance and Tanveer’s nomination, business politics has entered a new phase ahead of the FPCCI elections. However, the rival BMG-BMP alliance’s response and its electoral strategy will be important in determining the shape of the upcoming contest.