A file photo of Zubair Motiwala
He was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the three-day 'Vision of Prosperity' exhibition on Thursday. Motiwala told the audience in Martin Luther's style that he, too, dreamed. "I have a dream that one day Memons will call themselves Memon only," he said, referring to a large number of castes within the community. "I have a dream that one day there will be no Bantwa, no Kathiawari. There will be one identity - Memon only."
A wide variety of manufactured and home-made products was offered to the public at the more than 200 stalls, which were part of the exhibition at Karachi Expo Centre.
Organised by the All Pakistan Memon Federation, the event began on Friday, inviting people to visit and shop all they want. The exhibition housed an extensive range of general and luxury products. This was the seventh 'successfully held' event since 2003 and happens every two years.
More than 200 stalls showcasing manufactured and home-made products were installed in the four large halls. The head of the exhibition, Afzal Bhujwala, said that the items available at the stalls were being sold at prices lower than those in the market.
At the end of the ceremony, Motiwala remarked that the exhibition was a pure indicator of the strengthening of the country's economy. Motiwala, who also served as an adviser to the Sindh chief minister, said that the gathering reflected the restoration of peace in the 'City of Lights'.
Speaking at the inauguration, Bhujwala said that the project was initiated more than a decade ago to provide people with what they needed under a single roof at cheaper prices. According to him, the event was gaining popularity as was evident with the rising number of stalls each time.
He said that even though the organisers were members of the Memon community, the event was never meant to remain confined to Memons alone. "People from all races, ethnicities and religions shopped and even put up their stalls at the event," he asserted, adding that it was undoubtedly the success of the project's intent as envisioned by its founder, Farooq Motlani - a renowned entrepreneur from the community.
The inauguration ceremony was held at Hall 5 of Expo Centre, where a large number of people from within and outside the community converged. Politician-cum-philanthropist Haji Hanif Tayyab, who heads the Nizam-e-Mustafa Party and the Al-Mustafa Trust, attended the event briefly and expressed pleasure over its successful launch.
"The organisers have done a great job," he said. "The event will not only benefit people with the shopping but will also bring them closer. Families who find it hard to arrange meetings due to busy schedules may meet here [as well]."
Former lawmaker Aziz Memon, who is the president of All Pakistan Memon Federation, said that the event was aimed at generating funds for the community's philanthropic projects.
He said that many needy people are reluctant to take financial aid in zakat and in the form of other religious giveaways. According to him, the exhibition was a means to help them without making them feel awkward.
The event will continue till Sunday and has no entry fee.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2015.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ