Special Correspondence
KARACHI: Yousuf H. Shirazi, a renowned businessman and Chairman Atlas Group breathed his last on the evening of Sunday, October. His Namaz-e-Janaza was held on Monday at Masjid Yasrab DHA Karachi which was largely attended by renowned businessmen including Mian Muhammad Mansha, Shaukat Tareen, Javed Kureshi, Masood Naqvi, members of FPCCI, KCCI, PSX, senior bankers, government officials, senior media community, members of Karachi Editors Club, including Mubasher Mir, Syed Ibne Hassan, Masood Zaidi, Manzar Naqvi and elite of Pakistan. They also expressed their grief and sorrow to the bereaved family including Iftikhar Shirazi.
Yousuf Shirazi was the Chairman of Atlas Group, which, among others, has joint ventures with Honda, GS Yuasa and MAN to name a few. Shirazi had been the President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry for two terms. He had been the founder member of Karachi Stock Exchange, Lahore Stock Exchange and International Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He had been on the Board of Harvard Business School Alumni Association and is the Founder President of Harvard Club of Pakistan and Harvard Business School Club of Pakistan. He had been a visiting faculty member at National Defense University, Navy War College and National School of Public Policy. He had been on the Board of Governors of LUMS, GIK and FC College (Chartered University) and Pakistan Institute of Management. Previously, he also served, among others, on the Board of Fauji Foundation Institute of Management and Computer Sciences (FFIMCS) and Institute of Space Technology – Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
Shirazi had been conferred with Sitara-e-Eisaar and Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the top Civilian Awards. Sitara-e-Imtiaz conferred by the Government of Pakistan recognizes individuals who have made an “especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavors”. Sitara-e-Eisaar Award is in recognition of CSR activities in Pakistan. A Distinguished Formanite Award for outstanding achievements as an entrepreneur was awarded by Forman Christian College – University Lahore.
The Government of Japan also acknowledged Shirazi’s contributions to promote economic relationship between the two countries by conferring the Japanese National Award.
Karachi Editors Club (KEC) in its condolence meeting offered Fateha for the departed soul and its Executive Committee expressed condolence to the grieved family and prayed the Almighty Allah to place the departed soul in eternal peace and give courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude. (Ameen). In this meeting Syed Ibne Hassan expressed his sentiments, saying that Yousuf Shirazi was a very nice and dynamic person. The biggest virtue of his personality was being humble and down to earth. He always avoided boasting about his achievements.
KEC also plans to hold a condolence reference in the memory of Yousuf H. Shirzi during the current week. Death of Yousuf H. Shirazi is, indeed, an irreparable national loss.