Ziad Bashir assumes charge as PBC chairman

Ziad Bashir has assumed charge as chairman of the Pakistan Business Council (PBC), succeeding Dr Zeelaf Munir, who has completed her tenure.

According to a PBC post on X, Bashir, who previously served as vice chairman, assumed the responsibility with immediate effect.

Haider Ali was also unanimously elected as vice chairman of the PBC, replacing Bashir, with his appointment taking effect immediately.

The PBC thanked Dr Munir for her leadership and contribution to taking the council “to the next level” and congratulated Bashir and Ali on their new responsibilities.

The council expressed confidence that PBC would continue to thrive under the new leadership and guidance.

Who is Ziad Bashir?

According to information available on the PBC website, Ziad Bashir is the Honorary Consul General of the Consulate of Denmark in Karachi, a position he has held since 2015. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Arwen Tech (Private) Limited.

He is a director at Swisstex Chemicals (Private) Limited, Arwen Tech International Limited (FZC), UAE, Gul Ahmed Textile Mills Limited, GTM (Europe) Limited, UK, Gul Ahmed International Limited (FZC), UAE, GTM USA Corp., USA, and the Landhi Industrial Trading Estate Development & Management Company (LITE DMC).

He is also the founder director of Ideas by Gul Ahmed.

From 2014 to 2021, Bashir served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Retail Council, where he played a key role in promoting the country’s retail sector.

He has held several prominent public and industry positions as an executive committee member, including the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Committee, where he oversaw domestic commerce and information technology, the Federal Board of Revenue’s Apex Committee, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) from 2016 to 2018, the Pakistan Board of Investment (2013–2014), the Punjab Board of Investment (since 2013), the Export Processing Zone Authority (2014–2017), and the Sindh Police Benevolent/Welfare Fund Board (since 2016).

Bashir also serves on the Board of Governors of the Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), where he heads both the Finance and Human Resources Committees. He has been associated with I Am Karachi since 2013 and served as President of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Pakistan from 2009 to 2010, while remaining a member of its Board of Governors between 2004 and 2012.

His other governance roles include serving on the Central Managing Committee of APTMA (2006–2012), the National Board of AIESEC Pakistan (2006–2012), the Board of Studies for the Textile Department at Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture (2016–2019), and the Board of Governors of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) since 2020.

Bashir earned a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship from Babson College, Boston, USA, in 1998. He completed the PICG Certification of Director Education in 2011, attended the National Security Workshop at the National Defence University in 2014, and became the first participant from Pakistan to attend the International Leaders Programme organised by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 2016. In 2019, he also completed the International Workshop on Leadership and Security at the National Defence University.

He has been actively involved with the Landhi Association of Trade & Industry, serving as Senior Vice Chairman in 2005–06, Chairman in 2006–07, 2008–09 and 2013–14, and as its Patron-in-Chief since 2017.

In addition, he has been a member of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) Spinners Committee, the Pakistan-Japan Business Forum, the Pakistan-Italy Business Forum, and YPO Pakistan for over two decades.