ENTREPRENEUR
Starting from selling snacks (samosas) on the footpath in 1952-53 to earn for afternoon classes in Karachi, Abdul Haseeb Khan has become a big businessman now. His fortunes are in billions of rupees. His factory, Brookes Pharmaceutical, in Korangi industrial area is surrounded by a beautiful garden and a fountain to create a positive working atmosphere. The main entrance from the parking area leads one through a snake like path, which ends with a positive vista of the workplace.
Khan’s office is adorned with pictures of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed, and Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. Pointing towards Jinnah’s portrait, “He is my Pir (Guru). I don’t know whatever his religion was. But, he is my Pir,” he said.
Born in 1940 in Bhopal, India, Abdul Haseeb Khan migrated to Karachi in 1952 with his family that faced tough financial times in the city. He began selling snacks at the early age of 12 to meet expenses. His paternal grandfather was a judge in Bhopal.
However, his family did not enter in the property claim-game in Pakistan and faced a fate, which was not easy. In 1954 he shifted to Mirpurkhas where he received higher school certificate and returned to Karachi for diploma in electronic engineering.
His first job paid him Rs175 per month till he joined Pak Oxygen in 1965, where he received Rs500 per month and he earned another Rs600 to Rs700 in commissions. In 1968, Khan joined the Kiamari Oil Terminal and worked there for 10 years.
By 1978, he had developed his own terminal and bought the land on lease with the support of Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan (IDBP). Later in 1984, Khan started importing medicines from a small flat in Clifton and in 1988 established his own factory Brookes Pharma, which continues as his only and single business since then. Land for this factory was purchased in Rs1.6 million, whereas current value of the plot is Rs300 million.
He exports medicines to 15 countries and produces quality products only.
Khan is a well known philanthropist as well, running a well-reputed High School in Surjani Town and supporting several other organisations, mostly for special persons. He has served as chairman of Pharmaceutical Association of Pakistan and Korangi Association of Trade and Industry.
In 2010 Khan became a senator on the ticket of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, but he says, “I hate politics.” He is the author of at least five books. “Education, health and economy is my passion and I discussed these subjects for five years in the senate,” he said. He received Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2005, though he is too humble to say he earned it.
Narrating his secret of success, Khan said he takes care of his workers. The 650 families of his factory employees are entitled to health and education, and there is no age for retirement. People as old as 80 years are also working at his factory.
“I retire only those who are mentally retired. Otherwise, people die here but don’t ask for retirement,” he said. He says before his employees come for any assistance to him, he gets their issues resolved. His company is the only pharma company recipient of SA (Social Accountability) 8,000 award, which is being given on the welfare of employees. “If a single employee complains, it will not be given to the employer,” he said.
Khan is a man of values and principles and he transfers those amid his circles, which are not limited to his employees only. He has never been a failure at any jobs and also in his own businesses. He calls lack of commitment a big failure among people nowadays.
“Casual work does not get you success. Mind faculty grows with the commitment. Wherever I worked, I worked with commitment. I stayed at work places even for nights. When you start thinking with commitment, you get success,” he narrates.
Success depends on your target or goal. “I was born with a reason. I got to know it, which is helping the needy,” he said. He narrated a verse from the Holy Quran that says worship Allah, do social work, which will take you to heaven. Khan says, “Way to the heavens goes from the area of the poor. It does not go from forest, graveyards or mosques. Only farz of namaz (prayer) is being held in the mosque while whole prayer is offered out of the mosque.”
In order to be successful, “Achievement does not require extra ordinary ability or intelligence,” he said. “It comes from ordinary ability applied with extra ordinary persistence and perseverance.”
Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan narrating Chinese philosophy says a crisis has two components. One is danger and the other opportunity. “There is no need to run away in danger. Find out the opportunity, which is present there.”
He said he never left work unfinished, where there is a problem there is also a solution. “It is impossible in the rule of nature to have a problem with no solution. Problem and solution exist together. It is another thing you do not find the solution.”
During the talk, he continued with his daily work, issuing instructions to his staff. Whatever orders he passed, he kept writing in a small diary. “I do not give verbal orders. If you do not write down, there will be no success. Writing helps in follow-ups,” he said.
He said he did not believe in the myth of ‘bad boss’. “If you look negatively, you will not succeed. You have to possess positive thinking. Negativity and positivity exist together but one has to work on possibilities with a positive attitude.”
During his businesses, he took ‘calculated risks’. He recites another verse from the Holy Quran that says get consultation of learned people before taking any decision, then be tied up with that decision and have belief in Allah, who will fulfil it.
Poetry and reading short articles is his hobby. He cannot read lengthy books. However, he keeps notes of interesting things he reads on his own subjects; education, economy and health.
Giving advice to those who may want to start their business in the health sector, Khan said health and education sectors in Pakistan always needed improvement but new comers should come with commitment and not just the notion of melting money.
His factory hires graduates of the related discipline. He says education means developing knowledge, which means developing the thinking process. “Use your brain. The thinking ability grows with usage,” he said.
Khan starts his day at 5:30 in the morning and until 11 pm he does one thing at a time. He says do one thing at a time, he does not believe is multi tasking.
The writer is a staff member
