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Who Owns Pakistan - Yimg

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7 Gulistan Weaving 377 334<br />

8 Reliance Cotton 371 360<br />

Total Financial Assets 7,583 8,904<br />

Unlisted companies<br />

1. Amer Cotton Mills (Pvt) Ltd<br />

2. Amer Fabrics Ltd<br />

3. Neelum Textile Mills<br />

4. Gulistan Fabrics Ltd<br />

5. Diamond Fabrics<br />

Habib<br />

The House That Built Habib<br />

" In <strong>Pakistan</strong> who has the money to buy Habib Bank, but the House of Habib",<br />

the representative of Habib group told reporters at the Privatization Commission<br />

in Islamabad in 1992 before submitting bid for the privatization of Habib Bank.<br />

The boast was justified but uncharacteristic of the Habib family which is known to<br />

make conscious efforts to appear small and stay out of the limelight by " hiding<br />

the light under the bush in the religious belief that to win the pleasure of Allah is<br />

worth infinitely more than to seek the plaudits of the public".<br />

Habibs have spread their wealth over a large number of private and public<br />

companies and a profile of Rafiq Habib in Economic Review, Novemer 1984 (P<br />

59) said that Habib group had 90 companies it its fold. I could identify only half of<br />

them.<br />

The history of House of Habib goes back to middle of the last century when<br />

Esmail Ali of Jam Nagar, India set up a small utensil factory in Bombay. A son<br />

born to him in 1878 was given the name Habib who was to found the dynasty of<br />

House of Habib. Habib Ismaeel lost his father at an early age and circumstances<br />

forced him to join the business of his uncle-Cassum Mohammad, owner of Khoja<br />

Mithabai Nathoo, merchant and manufacturer of copper and brass utensils. It<br />

was because of his association with Mithabai Nathoo that Habib Ismaeel came to<br />

be known as Seth Habib Mitha.<br />

The House of Habib hold many distinctions in <strong>Pakistan</strong>'s history. Habib Bank was<br />

shifted to <strong>Pakistan</strong> on the personal bidding of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali<br />

Jinnah and came to the help of the nascent state " even before the Govt of<br />

<strong>Pakistan</strong> was ready to issue appropriate govt paper", with a Rs 80 million loan<br />

154

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