Jahangir Siddiqui

Jahangir Siddiqui is a Pakistani businessman and philanthropist. Siddiqui is the brother of the television director, producer and businessperson Sultana Siddiqui,[1] and the uncle of her son the businessman Shunaid Qureshi.[2] Jahangir Siddiqui's son Ali Jahangir Siddiqui is married to the daughter of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman owner of Jang Group of Newspapers.[3]

Career

In 1971, Siddiqui founded Jahangir Siddiqui & Co. Ltd, which by growth and acquisition eventually became the JS Group of companies.[4] Today, the JS Group of companies includes businesses that are a part of: JS Financial, JS Industrial, JS Infocom, JS Property, JS Resources and JS Transportation.[5] JS Financial is the oldest of the group's businesses, and includes: Jahangir Siddiqui & Co. Ltd., JS Global Capital Limited, JS Bank Limited, JS Investments Limited and EFU Insurance Group and Bank Islami.[5]

History

To raise money to start the company after his father's initial refusal to lend him Rs 6,000 to start a business, Siddiqui secretly sold his family's car to a junk dealer for Rs1,800, along with the family's two-year stock of wheat and coal, all of which were stored in the family's house at the time.[4] When discussing this start as a businessman, Siddiqui has been quoted as saying "Positive thinking distinguishes an entrepreneur from the rest of the crowd. He’s never deterred by difficult circumstances.”[4] On May 15, 1962, with the support of his family, Siddiqui became a local distributor of ice-cream and coca-cola.[6] In 1966, he completed a bachelor's degree in commerce, and began training as a chartered accountant in 1967.[6] His interest in stock markets eventually led him to starting his own company in October 1971.[4]

By the time he retired from the company in 2003, JS Group comprised a range of businesses with over 18,000 employees.[4] Siddiqui and his wife Mahvash went on to found the Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation, a charitable, non-profit organization,[7] focusing on healthcare, education, sustainable development through social enterprise and emergency relief in Pakistan.[8]

Land Grabbing Allegations (2010) and Courts' Verdict

See also: Naya Nazimabad

In December 2010, Siddiqui was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) for alleged land grabbing in Karachi which alleged that Jahangir Siddiqui had illegally occupied a plot of 1,000 square yards in Karachi in connivance with the owner of an estate agency, using forged documents.[9][10] Additional Executive District Officer (AEDO) Revenue Mustafa Jamal Qazi maintained that it had become a practice that land that was awarded to the government was being grabbed by "land mafia...for its vested interests."[9] Pakistan's Anti-Corruption Establishment arrested several in conjunction with the case in December.[11]

Siddiqui sued a group of individuals, including the Anti-Corruption Establishment director and a member of EDO Revenue for defamation, indicating that the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee had evaluated land in 2001 and found the ownership of the property legal.[12] In response to the defamation claim, the Sindh High Court issued notices to the defendants, and they were summoned to appear before the court on 5 January 2011.[13] The court issued a restraining order preventing the defendants from "media attack" pending settlement of the matter.[12] The Pakistan Observer characterised these events as a "character assassination campaign" against Siddiqui.[14]

On 29 November 2011 the court ruled that the allegations were "false and baseless" and that such cases should not be filed in the future.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Jahangir Siddiqui fears losing seats on JSCL Board". News Recorder. 2013-11-25. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  2. ↑ "Jahangir Siddiqui disown Sultana Siddiqui (Sister) and Shunaid Qureshi (Nephew)". Waqt News (YouTube). 2013-04-10. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  3. ↑ "The illegal activities of Jang Group and Jahangir Siddiqui". Charity-charities.org. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Alam, Kazim. "JS Group: the empire built by selling the family car". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  5. 1 2 http://www.js.com/about-jsgroup.asp
  6. 1 2 http://www.pak-times.com/2009/05/14/a-self-made-jahangir-siddiqui-in-the-beginning
  7. ↑ "Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation". Usindh.edu.pk. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  8. ↑ "Time to Give: Pakistan Needs the World's Help". Charity-charities.org. 2010-12-24. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  9. 1 2 Land grabbing scam, Qadeer Tanoli, The News, Thursday, December 09, 2010. Thenews.com.pk (9 December 2010).
  10. ↑ Jahangir Siddiqui’s name in FIR for land grabbing, Imran Hafeez, The Tribune, International Herald Tribune, December 8, 2010. Tribune.com.pk.
  11. ↑ CDGK official gets bail in land scam case, Dawn News, December 13, 2010. Dawn.com (14 December 2010).
  12. 1 2 Jahangir Siddiqui Case Politically Motivated. Tribune.com.pk.
  13. ↑ Defamation: Jahangir Siddiqui sues for Rs5b, The Express Tribune, January 1, 2011. Tribune.com.pk (1 January 2011).
  14. ↑ Harassment of a Role Model, Pakistan Observer
  15. ↑ ePaper. The Nation (27 March 2012).
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