February 14, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 31 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E187-E188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING MR. SYED BABAR ALI ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 94TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 14, 2020

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize an individual who 
has made enormous contributions to our global community, Mr. Syed Babar 
Ali, who will be celebrating his 94th birthday this year. In 
celebration of this occasion, it is only fitting that I and my 
colleagues take a moment to reflect and recognize some of the 
contributions he has made throughout his life.
  Mr. Ali was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1926 to prominent businessman 
Syed Maratib Ali and his wife Syeda Mubarik Begum, who was descended 
from the Afghan royal family. Mr. Ali learned the secrets of creating 
and managing successful businesses at the side of his father whose 
company was one of the largest contractors to the British Army during 
the colonial occupation of Pakistan, then still part of India. Mr. Ali 
began his education at Aitchison College in Lahore but soon relocated 
to the United States to continue his education at the University of 
Michigan. He had not been there long when the partition of India 
occurred and the newly independent nation of Pakistan was formed. 
Looking to use his skills to help his homeland, he returned to Pakistan 
in 1947, completing his education at the University of Punjab.
  As a visionary and entrepreneur, Mr. Ali began his business career 
shortly after graduation, joining his family in a cotton exporting 
business. As he strove to increase exports, he recognized a need for a 
packaging company and founded Packages Unlimited which became 
Pakistan's largest paper and board mill.
  He was also the founder of Milkpak Limited, now Nestle Pakistan 
Limited, which grew to become the largest food processing company in 
Pakistan. An advocate of joint ventures, he created partnerships with 
well-known foreign and international companies including Coca-Cola, 
Nestle, Tetra Pak (Sweden) and Mitsubishi, among others. After Zulfikar 
Ali Bhutto was elected President of Pakistan, the country began 
nationalizing many industries causing Mr. Ali's family to lose five of 
their six large businesses including their automotive and insurance 
businesses. Mr. Ali later reflected that these experiences helped teach 
him how to build and run a business from the ground up.
  During this time, Mr. Ali began to realize that Pakistan needed a 
school of management to train managers and entrepreneurs, not only to 
benefit the individual students but to ensure the future prosperity of 
the entire country.
  While studying at Harvard Business School, he sought the advice of 
faculty to guide him on how the school he wanted to establish should be 
set up. His driving force was to create an educational system capable 
of producing economic managers and creative thinkers--two things which 
were greatly needed in the country that at the time, was then 
experiencing economic growth and political upheaval.
  Supported by a $10 million grant from USAID and the patronage of the 
Pakistani business-industrial community, Mr. Ali founded Lahore 
University of Management and Science, now known by its acronym LUMS. 
From its beginning as a business school, LUMS has expanded its programs 
which now include liberal arts, science and engineering, economics, 
computer sciences, education and law.
  In 2011, LUMS launched the National Outreach Programme to reach 
bright students from underprivileged areas of Pakistan. Under this 
initiative, selected candidates are brought into academic programs to 
prepare them for acceptance to the university. LUMS provides full 
financial assistance to those who enter this program. Financial 
assistance for other students include generous scholarships and 
interest-free loans.
  Mr. Ali has also contributed to the betterment of Pakistan and the 
world in ways beyond business and education. In 1993, he served as 
Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Planning for Pakistan's 
caretaker government and has served the World Wildlife Fund 
International in various capacities including President. In 1985 he 
established the Babar Ali Foundation that contributes approximately $1 
million each year primarily to education and health initiatives in 
Pakistan. In recognition of his efforts and countless contributions, he 
has received honors and awards from the governments of Sweden and the 
Netherlands, an Order of the British Empire Award (OBE), and an 
honorary Doctorate Degree of Law from McGill University. These 
successes would perhaps not have been possible without the support of 
his beloved wife of 65 years Perwin, his children Henna and

[[Page E188]]

Hyder, and his grandchildren Mubarik, Zehra, Murtaza and Gauhar.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating this 
remarkable individual on his 94th birthday and in wishing him and his 
family continued health and happiness.

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