WHEN Ali Suleman Habib, a leading entrepreneur and captain of industry, passed away in Karachi on Friday (April 17) at the age of 63, he left behind a void and a legacy that will be hard to fill — at least in the near future.

Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted: “Saddened to learn of the passing of my old friend Ali Habib.” The premier also acknowledged the late Ali Habib’s assistance in an honorary capacity to the ministry of commerce.

Pakistan’s entire business community went into a shock on hearing of Ali Habib’s sudden demise. It was evident in all the sadness that Pakistan had lost a true blue business entrepreneur who was recognised as a patriotic industrialist.

A good human being and a very decent man, Ali Habib left us all too soon. He was a thorough professional who would demand and settle for nothing but the best.

His ideas were always original, but backed by hard facts that he would laboriously extract from his personal experience, vast reading and an uncanny ability to observe developments for himself. He visited Japan a number of times to see the manufacture of Toyota cars first-hand and learn the ropes.

He was in no way a typical Seth as he was always present in person at the Indus Motor Company-Toyota production lines at least once or twice a week to make sure that everything was in order.

He may have come across as intimidating to some, but he was a gentle person at heart who did not have an ego and who learned from his mistakes. But he was firm, fair and honest to the hilt.

He built Indus Motor Company (IMC) with his sweat and blood because he had seen the passion and toil of his other family members in the 80s in acquiring the licence to make Toyota cars in Pakistan. He had himself faced the travails of the bureaucracy in Islamabad before the IMC plant was set up in Karachi.

Down the road, as Toyota became a popular brand and Pakistan’s number one locally manufactured automobile, there were still many challenges to be faced and Ali Habib and his team tackled them squarely – even driving to the plant every day despite the government’s apathy in building the Malir 15 Bridge.

Ali Habib wanted all motor vehicles made in Pakistan to be of the highest quality and made no compromises in producing Toyota cars.

He also championed the fair demands of the indigenous car industry and was instrumental in setting up PAMA — Pakistan Automobiles Manufacturing Association.

Ali built an impeccable reputation for quality and fairness and recognised the value of his employees. That is why he always told them not to be afraid of making mistakes.

A smart business leader whose advice and wisdom were sought-after by the business community and the government, he was also an outstanding philanthropist and urged all his companies to share their success with deserving communities in the areas of health, education and environment.

He headed the House of Habib, a business conglomerate that has several successful businesses functioning under it. Apart from heading Indus Motor Company, Pakistan’s leading automobile company that produces Toyota cars, Ali also served as a member on the board of directors of Thal Limited, Shabbir Tiles & Ceramics, Habib Metropolitan Bank and Metro Habib Cash and Carry Pakistan (Pvt).

He headed the Young Presidents Organisation’s (YPO) Pakistan chapter and was the founding chairman of the Pakistan Business Council. He was also a member of the Habib University’s board of governors and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust and a member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s award programme body.

Having had his early education at Habib Public School, Ali Habib was a graduate in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota, USA, and also attended a management development programme (MDP) at Harvard University.

In his passing, Ali Habib has left behind a legacy of fair entrepreneurship seasoned with devotion and humility.

One always found him at the side of his wife Muneeza, sharing her interests in art and culture. Once I invited them to attend a stage play by Naseeruddin Shah as I sit on the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) board of directors. As I had anticipated this to be a packed performance, I requested them to be there on time to ensure they got their seats.

For some reason, they arrived late and I noticed them midway through the play, sitting on the floor at the side of the stage. I managed to catch Ali’s eye and beckoned to him to come nearer so that I could offer him my seat. Ali simply nodded in the negative and indicated he was okay sitting on the floor.

He was so right. After all, the ground is one’s final resting place. May his soul rest in peace. Ameen.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2020