Salmaan Taseer was Overseas Pakistanis Hero

Shaheed Salmaan Taseer  was our Hero

 Dated 1st Jan 2012 

 By: Tarique Khan Javed,

    President, Overseas Pakistani Investors Forum.(OPIF)
 
 When OPIF was formed in 1988, one of the people who provided substantial support to the movement was Salman Taseer. He shared our vision that Pakistan had a great future and we should invest each and every penny we make in Pakistan and no where else!
 
 He advised us to invest in Pakistan's share market, real estate market and invest in education of our children. He provided as lot of support from his Dubai office and never backed from making financial contribution for our events. 
 
 He made his dream of creating thousands of jobs in Pakistan come true by establishing, World Call, First Capital Securities, Shaheen Insurance, Business Plus Tv,Zaiqa Tv and Wiekid Tv. He also acquired Pace. These institutions became Cos of choice for Overseas Pakistanis World wide. Our savings were well protected and multiplied by First Capital and Pace.
 
His Shadaat on 4th Jan 2011,divested the entire overseas Pakistani community and negatively impacted OPIF efforts in mobilizing investment into Pakistan. The delay in sentencing of the murder and later delay in his execution remains a heavy burden on all Pakistanis but particularly so on Overseas Pakistanis as Salmaan was our hero. Our ideal. Our Icon.

A struggling self made lot:

Leading members of OPIF, pride themselves as coming from rich educational background but with modest financial background like Salmaan. We prided in being able to change of families from poor job seekers to job provides. I, son of an Economist, who struggled to feed his six children, was able set up my first factory in 1988 and acquire another one in 1998. Salmaan advised us to support struggling Cos in Pakistan  with equity injection and technical advice and marketing of their products abroad.

 Salmaan was our ideal for he had the most up hill struggle. His eminent scholar father who died young did not leave enough to support his higher education but he became a Chartered Accountant in UK. For this he worked part time and saved every penny.

 After studies he could have stayed backed in UK without any difficulty but he had this huge desire to serve Pakistan. He moved to the Gulf to make some money as he rightly perceived that saving money in UK was very difficult due to high taxes. His Co Taseer Hadi & Co became a source of pride for all Overseas Pakistani in the Gulf.
 I as a Banker felt proud to accept THC's Financial Report without reservation and encouraged our clients to use them. 
 

His innovative and bold investments in Pakistan:

 After establishing a Branch of his accountancy firm in Karachi, now known as KPMG, Salmaan established First Capital mainly to cater to the needs of Overseas Pakistani in 1995. He succeeded in getting support for his venture from two leading international firms which boosted our confidence in the Co. We were well guided by international experts in the Co in making investment strategies which provided good safe return. I was able to make good money through arbitrage operation in future market of KSE with almost no risk. 
 
 He acquired PACE also to provide reliable investment opportunity in Real Estate market. Lot of our members suffered by investing in fake projects or ill conceived projects which never got completed. PACE provided us a safe investment vehicle due to its highly professional management and international standards of their project.

A Family in turmoil and severe pain:

 After him some of his Cos are not performing well due to the disruption of his sudden departure. While the family was briefing his death his son Shahbaz was abducted in August and still not recovered. This has completely shattered the family and all their well wishers. Across the World there is disgust at the failure of our Law Enforcing Agencies in recovering Shahbaz from Waziristan,where he is being held according to IG Punjab. We are at a lost to understand how come our World famous Secret Services cannot rescue a citizen from within it's own border while such agencies of other Country even get their citizen out from foreign Countries. What is so special about WAZIRISTAN?  In return of Rs. One trillion which we spend on our Security forces we demand that they should enter North Waziristan and free Shahbaz .
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A normal Overseas Pakistani:

Salmaan was a typical overseas Pakistani. A broad minded, tolerant, courageous, hard working person with passionate love for Pakistan. When I stared work abroad I was shocked to find so many nationalities and religions around me. Initially it was very tough to understand the sensibilities of these strange people. I was very reluctant to accept their varied customs and belief and considered returning back as I figured working with them would be impossible. Given the grave economic condition of Pakistan I decided to adjust and stay on. Gradually the diversification made by ALLAH in his wisdom started to make sense. My hatred and tunnel vision started giving way to love for humanity. As soon I opened up my heart along with their short comings and weakness I started to see and appreciate good things in other people.

Universal Values must be upheld:

 
 Salmaan having similar experiences could not keep quite when he saw excesses being committed in the name of Religion, race or colour. A brave, confident and outspoken person he raised his voice for the oppressed. He was fully cognizant of the risk around but considered listening to his conscience more important than his security advisers. 
 
 He was martyred like Imam Hussain but did not give up his heart felt principals. Till the last day he stood by the oppressed. 
 
 His high profile sacrifice for upholding universal human values is seen with lot of respect all over the World. In this World of 7 billion people more than 6.5 billion if asked will praise Salmaan Taseer and not more than few lacs narrow minded and bigoted people would not like his stand.
 

Can not console his family:

 Yet it is very difficult to console his loving family today specially when his killer is alive despite the death sentence and his son is missing. The impotence of liberal, democratic forces, civil society and his own parties government is unexplained. Why they are allowing so much space to a handful of vocal, but not really strong bigoted people who; if allowed, would take away all our liberty, like they did during Talban rule in Afghanistan. They need to be pushed back and thrown in the dust bin of history; as no society will accept their dictation including our Afghan and Arab brothers.

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