DAMMAM: A successful Pakistani businessman in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province has exhorted his countrymen to leave politics aside and concentrate on raising the country’s per capita income and the standard of living.
Tariq Barlas, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Saudi steel giant, Al-Tuwairqi Holding Co., was speaking at a seminar organized by the Eastern Province chapter of the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) at Dhahran International Hotel on Friday. Also attending were a large number of Pakistani businessmen, engineers, researchers, academics and executives.
The highlight of the seminar was a technical paper presented by Anwar Khalil Sheikh, professor of mechanical engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). As the director of KFUPM’s rapid prototyping lab, Anwar was able to explain in detail recent developments in rapid prototyping technologies. He fielded questions from the audience on a variety of issues relevant to the world of engineering.
However, it was Barlas, who, through his outspokenness, tried to point at a new direction Pakistani expatriates need to take. “There will never be a time or period which we can describe as ideal. Our country has lurched from one crisis to another throughout its history. There is no point in complaining. We will get nothing out of it,” he said in response to the incessant talk of political instability in the country.
Barlas called for doing all that Pakistanis can to change their way of thinking. “Ever since I left college years ago, I have seen no change in the mindset of our countrymen. The world is marching ahead and we are lagging behind. There is no point in discussing politics. Leave that aside and let us all work at raising the per capita income of our country and, as engineers, let us create jobs,” he said and pointed out
“If we raise the per capita income in our country to $5,000, which is far less than the world average, we would create an economy worth $900 billion. That kind of economy would lead to the creation of enormous numbers of jobs, decent jobs.”
Barlas rued the fact that Pakistanis talk a lot and do very little in terms of taking practical steps. He urged all Pakistani engineers and executives to visit the website of one particular South Korean steel company and learn from it. “If you have the time, do visit www.posco.com. You need to visit the website of this company for the sake of the future generation of Pakistan. POSCO started a steel company exactly 41 years ago, in 1968, with a capacity of merely 100,000 tons of crude steel. Today, this company makes 33 million tons of steel. Compare that with the total Pakistani production which is not even five million tons. Open your eyes and get down to business.”
“We should combine the natural resources of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the human resources of Pakistan. This can work wonders provided we take the lead.”
Barlas is a chemical engineer but his success in the steel industry has endeared him to the Pakistani expatriate community in Saudi Arabia.
“He needs no introduction and his achievements speak for him,” said Rizwan Ahmad, chairman of the Eastern Province chapter of the Institution of Engineers Pakistan. “He is an eternal optimist and his words carry enormous weight,” said Ahmad and thanked the community of engineers for turning up at the event in large numbers.
Aziz Arshad, IEP general secretary, and Ismet Amin Khawaja, IEP former chairman, also spoke at the seminar. Rich tributes were paid to the heroic deeds of Farman Ali Khan, the young man who died after saving 14 lives during the recent Jeddah floods.
