 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Iqbal Z. Ahmed | |
|---|---|
 Iqbal Z. Ahmed with Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto | |
| Born | February 3, 1946 Patna, India |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, philanthropist |
Iqbal Zafaruddin Ahmed or Iqbal Z. Ahmed (born 3 February 1946) is a businessman and philanthropist of Pakistan. He is the founder of Associated Group.
Born in Patna, India, Ahmed is the son of Zohra (died 1979) and Z. Z. Ahmed (1910–1989), a former deputy inspector general of Pakistan Police. He was schooled at Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur, and Aitchison College, Lahore. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Government College, Lahore, and a master's degree in economics from Punjab University, Lahore.
Associated Group (AG) was cofounded by Ahmed and his father in 1965. Today, AG is among Pakistan's largest producers, transporters and marketers of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the private sector. Its companies include Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited, Pakistan GasPort Consortium Limited, Lub Gas, Mehran LPG, AG Publications, and Associated Estate Developers (AEDL). AG has its headquarters at Lahore and offices in Islamabad and Karachi. AG's philanthropic efforts are directed through the Zohra and Z. Z. Ahmed Foundation. AG chairman Ahmed is also the Publisher and chairman of the board of Newsweek Pakistan .
In 2024, the Sindh High Court returned to Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a corruption reference filed against Ahmed and his sons owing to lack of jurisdiction, bringing to a close a case pending since 2019. [1]
The same year, in his capacity as JJVL chairman, Ahmed urged the Government of Pakistan to deregulate the base-stock price of local Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or imported LPG in a new proposed LPG Policy to allow market forces to determine pricing. [2] As the founding chairman of Pakistan GasPort Limited, Ahmed has called on the Government of Pakistan to allow the private sector to import LNG to facilitate the provision of cheap energy to end consumers. [3]
On February 23, 2024, Ahmed was among the speakers who addressed the opening ceremony of the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF), a not-for-profit annual event whose body he serves as chairman. [4]
Self-made businessman Ahmed, who started in business at the age of 16, has been featured in Newsweek International and Forbes , Bloomberg TV, Reuters, CNBC [5] and profiled on CNBC Pakistan.
The state of Oklahoma declared 21 April 2009, as "Iqbal Z. Ahmed Day" to commemorate, according to the proclamation issued by Governor Brad Henry: "Mr. Ahmed's efforts to bring stability to the region and improve relations between Pakistan and the United States includ[ing] his support for President Obama's plan to add economic support to previously provided military support, shifting the priority for America's investment in Pakistan's stability; and ... Mr. Ahmed's efforts to champion peace and stability in Pakistan and the region; improve relations between Pakistan and the United States; provide power to underserved areas of his country; and forge a mutually beneficial partnership between Pakistan and Oklahoma businesses [a]s a positive example for everyone".
JJVL, Pakistan's single largest producer of LPG which represents post-9/11 foreign direct investment, has been recognised by its peers in the global energy world becoming a finalist six times, four years in a row, at the Platts Global Energy Awards held annually in New York.
Newsweek Pakistan and Ahmed hosted an exclusive event for Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey, at Lahore on 2 April 2010. [6]
The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on 14 September 2012, awarded Ahmed the President of Pakistan trophy for his contribution to Pakistan's economy.
Ahmed is the chairperson of Lahore Literary Festival Society, president of Government College University's (GCU) Endowment Trust Fund, member of the Faiz Ahmed Faiz Foundation, chairman of the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), president of King Edward Medical University's (KEMU) Mobilization Fund, and a trustee of National College of Arts' (NCA) Endowment Board. He has also served on the board of the Punjab Red Crescent Society, and is a member of the American Business Forum (ABF). Ahmed is also the elected chairman of the LPG Association of Pakistan (LPGAP). He has previously served as the president of the India-Pakistan World Punjabi Organization.
In his individual capacity and through his foundation, the Zohra and Z.Z. Ahmed Foundation, Ahmed has undertaken philanthropy worth over $1.5 million. Spanning an array of fields from education to healthcare to community empowerment, and the arts, the Zohra and Z.Z. Ahmed Foundation was recognized for its charity outlay in 2012 by the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy as one of the top 10 institutions in Pakistan.
Over the years, he has served as patron of the Government College University; National College of Arts; Beaconhouse National University; LABARD; Edhi Foundation; and the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. In 2024, he was re-appointed President of the Executive Committee of the Endowment Fund Trust of Government College University for a two-year term, having previously served in the same position from 2005–2022, and raising over Rs. 500 million for the Trust. [7]
Faiz Ahmad Faiz was a Pakistani poet and author of Punjabi and Urdu literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time, and his works and ideas remain widely influential in Pakistan and beyond. Outside of literature, he has been described as "a man of wide experience", having worked as a teacher, military officer, journalist, trade unionist, and broadcaster.
The Government College University is a public research university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded as Government College, Lahore, in 1864 under British administration, it became a university in 2002.
Khalid Hasan was a Pakistani journalist and writer. Author and editor of several books, in addition to being a regular columnist for a number of English-language Pakistani newspapers, he is best known for his translations of the short stories of Saadat Hasan Manto and the poems of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Syed Ahmed Shah Bokhari, commonly known as Patras Bokhari, was a Pakistani humorist, writer, broadcaster and diplomat who served as a Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations.
Pakistani philosophy is the philosophical activity or the philosophical academic output both within Pakistan and abroad. It encompasses the history of philosophy in the state of Pakistan, and its relations with nature, science, logic, culture, religion, and politics since its establishment in August 1947.
Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi born Ahmad Shah Awan was an Urdu language Pakistani poet, journalist, literary critic, dramatist and short story author.
Josh Malihabadi popularly known as Shayar-e-Inqalab was a Pakistani Urdu poet, born in Malihabad, British India.
Punjab University Oriental College, commonly known as Oriental College, is an institution of oriental studies in Lahore. It is located next to Government College University, Lahore.
Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, was a 20th-century poet. His pen name was Tabassum.
Zehra Nigah is a prominent Urdu poet and scriptwriter from Pakistan, affectionately known as 'Zehra Apa'. As one of the pioneers of Urdu poetry by women, Nigah was one of the first female poets to gain recognition in a male-dominated field. Nigah's achievements are particularly notable in the realm of mushaira, where she is regarded as the first female poet to fully participate and leave a lasting impact. Additionally, Nigah occasionally works as a songwriter and scriptwriter.
Pak-Arab Refinery Company Limited (PARCO) is a Pakistani joint venture oil and gas company active in refining, transporting and marketing petroleum products. It is a joint-venture between governments of Pakistan and Abu Dhabi.
Associated Group (AG) was founded in 1965 in Pakistan by Z. Z. Ahmed and his son, Iqbal Z. Ahmed. Today, AG is one of Pakistan's leading business houses in the energy sector. As of December 2007, AG was Pakistan's largest producer, transporter and marketer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). AG is also in the power generation, design and conservation, aviation, and media sectors.
Engro Corporation Limited is a Pakistani conglomerate headquartered in Karachi. Its businesses include energy, petrochemicals, fertilizers, port terminals, and telecommunications towers.
Moneeza Hashmi is a broadcaster, television producer, actress and a former general manager and director programmes of the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). Hashmi has over four decades of experience working with public media. She is the Trustee of Faiz Foundation Trust, Pakistan and main organizer of Faiz Festival Lahore. She is the younger daughter of the prominent Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Farrukh Siyar Hashmi OBE FRCPsych was a consultant psychiatrist who contributed to the development of transcultural psychiatry and race relations legislation in post-war Britain.
The Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) is an international literary festival held annually in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The festival is considered to be one of South Asia's premier cultural events.
Nighat Chaudhry is a Kathak classical dancer who was born on 24 February 1959, in Lahore, Pakistan. She moved to London with her parents when she was one year old. She studied ballet and contemporary dance; but when she was 14, she met Nahid Siddiqui, one of the greatest Kathak dancers, and began training with her. Inspired to learn the classical forms of her own culture, she abandoned ballet. In order to understand and absorb the nuances of the Indian style, she wished to be closer to its origins; and she moved back to Pakistan. She eventually became a trained Sufi & Mystique Kathak classical dancer and has been active as a professional Kathak dancer for over three decades.
Vice Admiral Tanveer FaizSI(M)), is a retired three-star Pakistani naval officer and former vice admiral of the Pakistan Navy. He also served in university administration as the rector of Bahria University from 2015 until 2018.
