Pakistan Armed forces: Rising business barons

Source :    Date : 15-Jul-2017


The Senate of Pakistan was provided on July 15th 2016, details of commercial entities being run by various wings of the armed forces in the country.

 

Defence Minister Khwaja Asif informed the house that there were nearly 50 “projects, units and housing colonies” functioning in the country under the administrative control of Fauji Foundation, Shaheen Foun­dation, Bahria Foundation, Army Welfare Trust (AWT) and Defence Housing Authorities (DHAs).

 

According to the details provided in the reply, eight DHAs were established in major cities. These DHAs — mostly created through ordinances — are in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi-Islama­bad, Multan, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Peshawar and Quetta.

 

Besides, there are 16 “projects/units” functioning under the AWT, 15 under the Fauji Foundation and 11 under the Shaheen Founda­tion.

 

The house was informed that Bahria Foundation was not administrating any housing colony in Pakistan, “however, an offshore tolling type LNG project is under its consideration”.

 

The projects/units being run by the AWT are:

  1. Two stud farms in Pakpattan and Okara
  2. Army Welfare Sugar Mills, Badin
  3. Askari Project (shoe and woollen), Lahore
  4. Army Welfare Mess and Blue Lagoon Restaurant, Rawalpindi
  5. Real estate comprising three small housing schemes in Lahore, Badaber and Sangjani
  6. Askari General Insurance Co Ltd Rawalpindi
  7. Askari Aviation Services, Rawalpindi
  8. MAL Pakistan Ltd Karachi
  9. Askari Guards (Pvt) Ltd, head office (HO) in Rawalpindi
  10. Askari Fuels (CNG) with HO in Rawalpindi
  11. Askari Seeds, Okara
  12. Askari Enterprises, Rawalpindi
  13. Fauji Security Services (acquired from Fauji Foundation), HO in Rawalpindi
  14. Askari Apparel, Lahore
  15. Askari Lagoon, Faisalabad.

The projects/units under Fauji Foundation are:

  1. Fauji Cereals
  2. Foundation Gas
  3. Fauji Fertiliser Company Ltd
  4. Fauji Cement Co Ltd
  5. Fauji Oil Terminal and Distillery Co Ltd
  6. Fauji Kabirwala Power Company Ltd
  7. Foundation Power Co (Dharki) Ltd
  8. Askari Cement Ltd
  9. Askari Bank Ltd
  10. Foundation Wind Energy (I and II) Ltd
  11. Noon Pakistan Ltd Lahore
  12. Fauji Meat Ltd
  13. Fauji Fertiliser Bin Qasim Ltd
  14. Fauji Akbar Partia Marine Terminal Ltd, HO in Karachi.

A company under the name of Pakistan Maroc Phosphore SA was set up in Morocco by the Fauji Foundation in 2008.

Similarly, the projects, units and housing colonies under the administrative control of Shaheen Foun­dation, which is a trust of the Pakistan Air Force, are:

  1. Shaheen Airport Services
  2. Shaheen Aerotraders
  3. Shaheen Knitwear
  4. Shaheen Complex, Karachi
  5. Shaheen Complex, Lahore
  6. Shaheen Medical Services
  7. Hawk Advertising
  8. Fazaia Welfare Education School System
  9. SAPS Aviation College
  10. Air Eagle Aviation Academy
  11. Shaheen Welfare Housing Scheme, Peshawar.

The Senate was told that Shaheen Foundation was established in 1977 under the Charitable Endowment Act 1890 “to promote welfare activities for the benefit of serving and retired PAF personnel, including civilians and their dependents, and to this end generate fund through industrial and commercial enterprises”.