NEW YORK, June 5: A Pakistani-American, owner of a furniture chain in the East Coast, has been chosen to receive the Business Humanitarian Award according to the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) and the Business Humanitarian Forum.

Farooq Kathwari, the owner of Ethan Allan, has a long involvement in humanitarian activities and most recently provided material support for reconstruction in post-Taliban Afghanistan, and sponsored dialogue between Indians and Pakistanis seeking a peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute. He will receive the award at a ceremony in New York on June 21.

“Mr Kathwari exemplifies the humanitarian spirit in business,” said BHF President John J. Maresca. “His actions demonstrate that humanitarian endeavours can not only help build communities and goodwill, but can promote private enterprise and often make business sense.” In February, he was responsible for a major in-kind donation of manufacturing equipment from Danbury, Connecticut-based Ethan Allen to BHF.