LAHORE: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has reached to inaugurate and address the two-day Pak-Indian economic conference being held here from today (May 7), under the auspices of Aman Ki Asha, a joint initiative of the Jang Group of Pakistan and the Times of India newspaper.
A thirty-member delegation comprising Indian business tycoons and headed by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President and Chairman of Godrej Group Adi Godrej arrived in Lahore via Wagah border on Sunday.
Shahrukh Hassan, Managing Director, Jang Group of Companies, Amin Hashwani, President Pak-India Business Forum, and others accorded a warm welcome to the Indian guests amid beats of drum while Pakistani flags were also waved on the occasion.
Hand-in-hand the two sides sent a message of love and harmony across the globe.
Shahrukh Hassan, MD Jang Group said a private sector conference of this magnitude had never been organized in Pak-India history while Amin Hashwani, President of Pak-India Business Forum termed the moot a significant step towards exploration of new trade relations between the two sides.
The Indian delegation comprises CII Vice President Ajay S Shriram, CII Director General Chandarajit Banerjee, Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj, Hero Corporate Services Chairman Sunil Kant Munjal, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Blue Star Executive Vice Chairman Shri Sunil M Advani, founder and chairman of Carnation Auto Jagdish Khattar, Managing Director and CEO of Country Strategy Business Consultants Dr Sudhir Kapur, Chief Executive Officer Ennore Coke Sir Ganesh Natarajan, Liberty Shoes Chief Executive Adesh Gupta, RJ Corporation Chairman Ravi Kant Jaipuria, Shell Companies Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta, Nasscom Chairman Harsh Manglik, CII Deputy Director General Virandra Gupta, and CII Director South.
Others who will speak at different sessions of the conference include Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, PTI chairman Imran Khan, renowned industrialists from both countries including MCB Chairman Mian Muhammad Mansha, Descon Chairman Abdul Razak Dawood, financial experts and traders’ representatives.
The moot will have a total of eight sessions, including the opening and concluding session, to be addressed by Pakistan’s former ambassador to the USA Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik, former State Bank of Pakistan governor and current IBA Director Dr Ishrat Hussain and Secretary Trade Zafar Mahmood. Other speakers will be Gul Ahmed Group Chairman Bashir Ali Mohammad, Packages Group founder owner Syed Babar Ali, Amin Hashwani, IBM Country General Manager Humayun Bashir, Nishat Zia Power Chairman Shahzad Salim, Dr Shaheena Nishtar, Karachi Stock Exchange Chairman Munir Kamal, KASB Bank President Dr Zakir Mahmood, JS Group VC Ali Raza Siddiqui, and others.