Emerging as the dynamic second generation of business and industry leadership, Dr. Gohar Ejaz, is the son of the late Senator Sheikh Ejaz Ahmed, a name synonymous with business excellence. Over the past 14 years, Dr. Gohar Ejaz has harnessed his visionary prowess to amplify Pakistan’s industrial and export landscape. His unwavering dedication has been recognized with the prestigious Sitar-i-Imtiaz in 2013, a testament to his remarkable contributions to the nation’s economy.
Dr. Gohar Ejaz’s remarkable life journey led to an Honorary Doctorate from Punjab University in 2021 – acknowledgment of his profound impact on the economy and the social welfare. The pinnacle of recognition was reached in 2023 when he was honored with the Hilal-i-Imtiaz for his trail blazing philanthropic efforts, solidifying his commitment to societal betterment. Dr. Gohar Ejaz’s journey is a resounding testament to his steadfast dedication, not only to business and industry but to the betterment of Pakistan’s social fabric.
Dr. Gohar has worked relentlessly for the betterment of Pakistan and society, especially the vulnerable segments by helping to provide quality health, education, and job opportunities. As Patron-in-Chief All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, he has been instrumental in fostering a turnaround in the Textile sector of Pakistan which has created millions of new jobs as well as generating an additional $6-7 billion worth of annual exports by the Textile sector alone in a short span of 2 years.
Textile exports went from $13 billion in FY18 to $19.4 billion in FY22. An increase of over 50% in this short period. Due to these crowning achievements, on 75th Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of Pakistan, 14th August 2022, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan conferred Dr. Gohar Ejaz with the second highest ‘Pakistan Civil Award’, ‘HILAL-i-IMTIAZ’ for showing excellence & courage in serving the State and his philanthropic services to the community to provide improved health & educational facilities.
Dr. Gohar Ejaz is a seasoned entrepreneur, philanthropist, and prominent industrialist who proudly represents the emerging Textile sector of Pakistan. Being a staunch believer in Export-led Economic Growth for the country, Dr Ejaz has worked tirelessly for improving the export-oriented textile sector of Pakistan. Advocating for the rights of a prominently excelling export sector with the potential to turn around the fortune of Pakistan and its industry for a stable economic future for over 30 years. The driving factor behind such a stellar growth rate was the availability of Energy at Regionally Competitive rates to the industry, for which Dr Ejaz has struggled endlessly. His fight for the rights of the textile sector and his conviction to steer Pakistan through the present-day economic crisis has shone as bright as the North Star.
He received Sitara-e-Imtiaz – the Civilian Award for highest degree of service to the state by then President of Pakistan in 2011, as an acknowledgement of his selfless services for the improvement of the community and the business sector of Pakistan. Dr Ejaz has also been recognized for his outstanding services in business management with an Honorary Doctorate in Management from the University of Punjab, Lahore. His tenacity to resolve issues affecting Pakistan’s industries and persistence in pushing Pakistan’s export industry for a sustainable economic future.
Under his leadership, the textile industry has been able to bring new investments – expansion of $5 billion to invest in modern-day technological advancements and factories which has created millions of jobs and livelihood for the unprivileged segment of our community.
PUBLIC HEALTH
In recognition of Dr. Gohar Ejaz’s philanthropic activities, the President of Pakistan conferred upon him the most prestigious award of “Shaan-e-Pakistan” on October 28, 2020.
- COVID-19 Relief
Dr Gohar Ejaz’s unparalleled persistence, resolute leadership and foresightedness have been instrumental in all of his welfare operations across Pakistan. His empathy and deep compassion for humanity were clearly reflected through his philanthropy during the ongoing endemic, the Gohar Ejaz Foundation and LHIS (Friends of Lahore, headed by Dr Gohar Ejaz) have worked concertedly with the frontliners, collecting donations, and organizing a transparent door-to-door ration distribution among 100,000 (approx.) deserving families of daily wagerers and labourers.
- Lahore Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS)
Founded on November 20, 2018, Lahore Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS) is a well-known Welfare Trust operating under the umbrella of a nationally renowned business group namely as Gohar Ejaz Foundation, Naimat Saleem Trust, Orient Group, Qarshi Foundation and Ghani Foundation – setting out itself as a leading Welfare Trust helping the underprivileged segments of Pakistan, particularly of Lahore. LIHS provides meals in the local Government hospitals for patients (including their attendants) and people residing in the Panagahs – an initiative was taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide a secure shelter to homeless people. Moreover, the Trust includes welfare projects as ‘Insaniyat ki Bhalai’, ‘Ummah ki Sirbulandi’ and ‘Pakistan ki Taraqi’.
In adherence, LIHS (Friends of Lahore) also provides 30000 meals per day approximately 12 million meals per year to patients, attendants and arrange Dastarkhans since 2018 at four Government Hospitals: Jinnah Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Children Hospital and Services Hospital in the last one and a half years.
Dr. Gohar Ejaz has devoted himself to the improvement of the healthcare system. In doing so, he also serves as Chairman of two very prestigious institutions; (i) Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. & (ii) Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore.
- Sheikh Ejaz Ahmed Trust Dialysis Center
Dr Gohar Ejaz established a state-of-the-art dialysis centre in 2006 at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, comprising 56 dialyses machines with a capacity to conduct 50,000 dialysis per year.
Providing its services free of cost, the Sheikh Ejaz Ahmed Dialysis Center is run by the Sheikh Ejaz Ahmed Trust, with an annual budget of over Rs. 200 million.
In addition, the Trust has donated several dialysis machines to a centre in Kharan, Balochistan thus facilitating the people who find it difficult to manage their medical expenses.
- The Gohar Ejaz Foundation
The foundation plans to work towards the detection of hepatitis-positive patients in Lahore and to provide complete screening through Mobile Labs followed by free medical treatment including free of cost medicines.
- Indus Hospital & Health Network, Lahore
Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN) provides quality healthcare free of cost to millions of deserving patients through its countrywide network of hospitals in Pakistan. Under the Chairmanship of Dr Ejaz, a group of renowned philanthropists were brought on board to supervise and carry forward the network’s purpose is to provide indiscriminate, quality healthcare to all in state-of-art facilities across Pakistan. Under the guiding principle of providing free and quality services to deserving people, his group has pledged Rs 10 billion (Rs2 billion/year) to the hospital for expansion and providing the best facilities to the community.
EDUCATION
- The Gohar Ejaz Foundation: National Outreach Program
The Gohar Ejaz Foundation was set up in 2016 with a focus on providing scholarships to students from across the country under the name of the National Outreach Program.
The National Outreach Program has proved as a useful facilitator for students to gain merit-based scholarships in the top 2 universities of Pakistan: Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC). Every year, 20 deserving students are given the opportunity to gain a world-class education which is a fully funded program, inclusive of tuition, lodging, and other facilities.
Dr. Ejaz has made available his experience to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) as a member of the Senate to provide advisory service and guidance on matters pertinent to Finance & Economics for insightful working on policy papers. In collaborative work with PIDE, he has laid out a Growth Strategy for Pakistan in light of the present crisis – a road map to economic and administrative solutions to revive our export base potential to minimize Pakistan’s dependency on foreign means of aid.
INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
Dr. Gohar Ejaz is a business tycoon, investor, and philanthropist, who is the Chief Executive of Ejaz Group of Companies, comprising of Ejaz Spinning Mills & Ejaz Textile Mills Limited.
At the age of 24, Dr. Gohar Ejaz left behind his two generations of credibility and goodwill in Karachi and built a new legacy from the ground up in Lahore. Under his dynamic leadership, Ejaz Group of Companies was established, and the group commissioned its textile division in 1990, establishing its first yarn manufacturing unit at Bhaipheru, titled Ejaz Textile Mills Limited.
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By 1992 another unit, ‘Ejaz Spinning Mills Limited’ was established in Sheikhupura with state-of-the-art machinery and its very own power generation plant. At present, Ejaz Group employs more than 3000 people with an astounding turnover of $100 million.
REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Gohar Ejaz is the Chief Executive of Lake City Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd, a 2000-acre resort and residential project, comprising of an 18-hole PGA golf course, 8000 luxury bungalows/villas, serene lakes, landscape architecture, parks and pavilions, civic amenities, restaurants, a modern cineplex and a shopping mall.
Dr. Ejaz has also been elected as the Patron-in-Chief of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) Northern Region, a national level representative organization of builders and developers, formed with the aim and objective of unifying and streamlining the construction activities of the private sector.
A VISIONARY & A REFORMER
Dr. Gohar Ejaz was elected as the Patron-in-Chief & Group Leader of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), the premier textile industry association of the country, and has held this position since 2011. He previously served as the Chairman of APTMA for the year 2010 – 2011.
A vocal proponent of the textile industry and its contributions to the national economy, he has always been motivated by a desire to contribute to Pakistan’s prosperity. His achievements especially attaining Energy Parity for the export sectors of Pakistan with the competing countries have allowed Pakistan Exports Industry to contribute significantly to the economic stability and an unprecedented growth trajectory in the history of Pakistan, which helped to retain and generate employment for the under-privileged workers of Pakistan.
Dr. Ejaz is a strong supporter of industrial expansion and enhancement. The boom in the textile sector during the COVID crises is all credited to him. He has been leading the sector and taking the industry with him towards Pakistan’s export-led sustainable economic growth. With his endearing initiatives and constant belief in the potential of Pakistani industries, he was successful to put Pakistan’s textile industry on a growth trajectory. Being a fearless spokesman, Dr Ejaz’s representation for securing a free market operating regime brought benefits in the shape of increased production and enhanced textile exports. His endurance to boost the economy via export-led growth has resulted in an unprecedented increase in textile exports, with the industry now operating at full capacity. In fact, industrial activity has been so rapid that the sector is facing labour shortages to keep up with enhanced production and orders.
Under his stewardship and a keen interest in the advanced approaches used in research and development, APTMA is fostering the very techniques to explore avenues for speedy and sustainable economic growth.
APTMA COTTON FOUNDATION
Following the roadmap for innovative practices, APTMA has benefited from the persistent guidance and the direction laid out by Dr Gohar Ejaz, starting an initiative to revive cotton in Pakistan. APTMA Cotton Foundation (ACF) is a flagship project of APTMA, a model farming concept that will revolutionize cotton production. This will involve developing and testing various methodologies to improve crop productivity and enhance yield. The farm will also have an onsite biotechnology laboratory for seed and soil testing and developing technologically advanced seeds. ACF will also support farmers in providing technical training and equip them with knowledge on international best practices to cultivate high-quality cotton.
Dr. Gohar Ejaz, Patron-In-Chief, APTMA is the pioneer of ACF project with a goal to revive cotton crop by introducing innovative technologies in seed variety development, certified approval systems for seed production, educating the farmers, launching training programs and proposing policy recommendations to government.
ACF will revolutionize cotton farming at domestic level with outstanding future implications – help alleviate poverty for many, furnish domestic cotton demand, reduce import bill, and pave way for an export-led economic development of Pakistan.
RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS
Dr. Ejaz also has numerous publications to his credit, highlighting pressing issues and making suggestions for steering the economy through challenges toward prosperity. His inputs for short and medium-term planning for ensuring energy security for industry and other areas have also been a welcome contribution. Dr Gohar Ejaz’s vision for an interest rate regime that is globally competitive has its own merits and is all set to lead to increased industrial investment and growth when permitted internationally and provided domestically. For his exemplary contributions to Pakistan, and society at large, Dr Ejaz has been presented with numerous nominations, awards, and accolades. Dr Ejaz has also served as a board member for many reputable institutions, including King Edward Medical University Lahore (KEMU), Board of Investment (BOI), ADRC, PCCI, FBR, PIDE, UHS, and PCCC.
FAMILY HISTORY
Belonging to the oldest and among the most respected families of Chiniot, Dr Gohar Ejaz is the eldest son of late Senator Sheikh Ejaz Ahmed (1940-1998), who had moved to Karachi with his father from Chiniot at the age of 7, in the year 1947. His qualifications preceding those of his time, with an MBA degree from IBA class of ‘62 as a steppingstone, Mr Sheikh Ejaz Ahmed soon became one of the most successful businessmen of his times, gaining the monumental title of ‘King of Commodities’ in Karachi.
From 1962 to 1985 he stood tall as an iconic leader of the business community and became a member of the Senate of Pakistan 1985. Thereafter, he handed the reins of his business organization to his son, Dr Gohar Ejaz, who had just attained his graduate degree from Commerce College of Karachi. Dr Gohar Ejaz took on the responsibility and the challenge of managing the trading sector of the family business, following in his father’s footsteps.
Read More: No economic revival without reviving exports: APTMA
HONORS/AWARDS
- Hilal-i-Imtiaz Pakistan was conferred by the President of Pakistan for Philanthropic Services for the Health, Education & Business Community, 2022. The Investiture Ceremony took place on Pakistan Day, 23rd March 2023.
- University of the Punjab, Lahore: Conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Management in recognition for Dr Gohar Ejaz outstanding services in business management, 2021.
- Sitara-e-Imtiaz was conferred by the President of Pakistan for Leadership and Services to the Community, 2011.
- Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE): Member of the Senate – Present
- Indus Hospital & Health Network, Lahore: Chairman of the Board of Directors 2018 – 2019
- Governor’s Business Advisory Committee: Member of the Committee, 2019 – Present
- Jinnah Hospital/Allama Iqbal Medical College: Chairman, Board of Management, 2019 – Present.
- TEVTA, Government of Punjab: Member Authority, 2020 – Present.
- Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Member of PIDE Senate, Nov 2020 – Present.
- Social Welfare & Bait-Ul-Maal Department: Convener, Board of Governors for Panah Gahs/ Musafir Khanas, 2019 – Present.
- University of The Punjab, Lahore: Member Adhoc Committee, Textile Engineering & Technology Department, 2019 – Present.
- University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore: Member Board University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore, 2019-Present.
- Governor’s Business Advisory Committee: Member, 2019 – Present.
- Government of Punjab Livestock & Dairy Development Department: Co-Convener of the Committee Constituted to Deliberate on Issues Related to Breed Improvement, 2020.
- Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCI), Government of Pakistan: Member Board 2012 – 2015.
- Punjab Cotton Control Board (PCCB), Government of The Punjab: Member Board, 2012-2015.
- Pakistan Electronic & Media Regulatory Authority (PEDRA): Member Board, appointed by the President of Pakistan as Federal Capital Representative, 2011 – 2015.
- Board of Investment (BOI), Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Islamabad: Member, 2010.
- Member Board, King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore,
- Lahore General Hospital, Lahore 2007 – 2011. Member Board, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore.
- Care Foundation 2005 – Present. Member Board of Governors, Care Foundation, Lahore.
- Punjab Institute of Cardiology 2005 – 2011. Member Board, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore.
- GCU, Lahore 2005 – 2008. Member Academic Council, Government College University (GCU), Lahore.
- Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) 2004 – Present. Chairman, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (ADRC), FBR, Sales Tax Wing, Government of Pakistan.
- PSSHMC 2003 – 2010. Member Board, Punjab Social Security Health Management Company, Lahore.