Mixing business with pleasure, the Pakistani way

However, Iliyaz, who is a housewife, was not very forthcoming about these business possibilities. Though she has never worked before or run any business so far, she said that she is interested in doing so now. “Things are changing, our sons today prefer a woman who works and you will come across many such instances where the husband and wife work together as a team. All these women, who have come here, are interested in doing some kind of work. Once they go back, they will not only spread word about Indian traders at home, but may also decide to start their own businesses,” Iliyaz explained, giving her husband’s business card to Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor.

Comprising of women in their mid-thirties to mid-fifties, the delegates are members of the University Town Ladies Club of Peshawar and are here on the invitation of the FICCI’s Ladies Organisation (FLO).

While Iliyaz claimed that it was a good opportunity to talk business, others preferred to talk about Delhi, Indians and their shopping spree in Jaipur and Ajmer, the fabulous jewellery, those gorgeous block prints and yards and yards of tie-and-die fabric that they have bought from Jaipur. “Oh! we had such a good time in Jaipur. We have also visited Ajmer Sharief. We will be leaving for Agra on February 24 and then for the last leg of the visit we shall be going to Bombay,” said a delegate.

Zakiya Parveen, another delegate, preferred to talk about Indians and the freedom that women enjoyed here. “Everyone here is so polite, even the illiterate rickshawallas. We feel quite safe even when we go out alone at night. This is not acceptable in Peshawar. We go out only with our menfolk and that too with our heads covered with a chaddar,” she said. Zakiya, who is a housewife, has been actively involved in the charity work undertaken by the club on a regular basis.

Raziya Khan discussed her boutique and the healthy profits that she was making. “I started my boutique three years ago. I always had the talent but started designing only after my children were settled. I cater to local women but sometimes, when they want stuff for their relatives abroad, I send it abroad also. Work is good, but I will not disclose my profit margin,” she said, laughing.

The Delhi Industries Minister Dr Narendra Nath and DSIDC chairman D S Sapolia, who were invited especially to meet the delegates, seemed at loss for words and generally discussed the glory of Delhi and pollution cause by industries during the interaction which lasted for less than half-an-hour.

Trying to justify their tag of businesswomen’, Chandra Garodia, a member of FLO said: “They have met quite a few people and made enquiries about fabric and handicrafts. We have arranged a meeting with Shehnaz Husain tomorrow,” she said, adding that they had also been meeting members of the FLO, who are all businesswomen.

However, Arti Rajkumar, another member of the FLO, admitted that it was a return courtesy call and was basically a goodwill visit. “We had visited Pakistan as part of the SAARC delegation last year. So now we have invited them. There are very few businesswomen in Pakistan, but they will definitely spread the word and hopefully it will generate trade enquiries”.