Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi

Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi عبدالقیوم خان کنڈی
Member, PTI Central Tarbiyati Council
In office 1 June 2014 – On going
Member PTI Advisory Committee
In office 15 May 2012 – 30 March 2013 Pakistan Chamber of Commerce-USA (PCC-USA)
Chairman Council of Past presidents
In office 1 January 2011 – 31 December 2011
President
In office January 2010 – December 2010
Personal details
Born	(1966-07-27) 27 July 1966 Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistan
Alma mater	Delhi College, Karachi NED University of Engineering and Technology IBA, Karachi
Profession	Businessman, author, politician
Religion	Islam

Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi (Urdu: عبدالقیوم خان کنڈی‎) (born 27 July 1966) is a Pakistani businessman and political activist. He was elected as president of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce-USA in 2010. He is the founder and chief executive officer of getTickets, LLC and Interactive Ventures. The company owns and operates a network of over 200 web sites in many verticals including city portals, travel, news, automotive, finance, career and entertainment sectors. To keep people informed and educated on politics and social issues Interactive Ventures launched get Pakistan.tv and WorldTalk.tv. He is member of Advisory Committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as well as working with PTI team in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank areas of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Province.

Biography

Kundi is the member of Kundi tribe that hails from Dera Ismail Khan and Tank area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. This is a pashtoo speaking tribe and has produced many prominent businessmen, politician and soldiers. He was born in his ancestral village Ama Khel on 27 July 1966. He got his primary and secondary education was through Government Anglo Oriental School in Karachi while he got his High School Certificate (H.S.C) was through Government Dehli College in Karachi.

Higher education

He earned a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree from NED University of Engineering & Technology in Computer Systems. He later attended the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi (IBA) to get a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in Business Administration and completed course work for an MBA.

Professional life

After graduating from NED University of Engineering and Technology Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi started his career with Zelin (pvt.)Ltd. an engineering firm that has since been closed down. He later worked as branch manager with EFU Life Insurance company and then became head of Money Market and Fixed Income with KASB Securities, one of the leading stock broker of Karachi Stock Exchange.

After migrating to USA, he started two companies i.e. getTickets, LLC and Interactive Ventures. getTickets, LLC was the first travel services company to start a call center in Karachi to cater to international travellers in USA. In 2007, he founded Interactive Ventures owns and operates a network of over 200 web sites in many verticals including city portals, travel, news, automotive, finance, career and entertainment sectors. To keep people informed and educated on politics and social issues Interactive Ventures launched getPakistan.tv and WorldTalk.tv.

Kundi offers strategic advice to young technology companies engaged in off-shore development in Pakistan. He is strategic adviser to FSD Solutions among many others.

Social and political life

Pakistan chamber presidency

Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi

Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi spoke at a Kashmir Seminar organised in California

During his term as the President of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce-USA (PCC-USA), a Coal Forum was organised in Houston which was widely attended by leading coal technology companies, investment banks, GE Power, Worley Parsons, US eximp bank, Thar Coal Authority and Engro Coal Power Company. As a business and community leader he has been promoting investment in the services sector of Pakistan especially call centres, data processing and web applications.

As member of the executive board of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce-USA (PCC-USA) he has been credited with initiating policy document "Ideas for Pakistan" which is published annually and submitted to key policy makers in USA and Pakistan. He was instrumental in the signing of sister city agreement between Houston and Karachi as well as preparation of the proposal to sign this historic protocol. He was member of the team to lobby for the execution of Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between the two countries. Absence of this important trade document has hampered the foreign direct investment in Pakistan as well as embark on an Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He was part of the delegation that executed Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), Pakistan Gem & Jewelry Development Company (PGJDC), and Haripur Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Under his leadership PCC-USA organised first ever Chamber presidents Summit in collaboration with Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) which was attended by presidents and delegation of seven leading chamber of the country.

Philosophy

In an article published on Yahoo.com, Kundi proposed a hypothesis of Big Expansion^[1] negating the established idea of a Big Bang that started the universe. His theory suggested that a phenomenon akin to a blackhole gave rise to initiation of an expansion just like the one we experience when helium is filled in a balloon. That balloon like expansion that started at the origination of the universe is still happening adding more matter as the expansion occurs. He suggested that new matter is still added to the universe as the expansion continues.

He has also written extensively about concept of time as well as adding a third dimension to the scientific research which is currently based on cause and effect. He has suggested that scientists should start exploring the effect on environment if a particular element does not exist in nature. This third pillar purpose^[2] should help scientist have a better understanding of elements in nature and their correlation with other elements to create a balance in the eco-system.

Kundi wrote a critique^[3] of Richard Dawkins book "The God Delusion" in which he questioned the author's bases of rejecting idea of God. He presents the view that the author has focused more on questioning the rationality of the believers rather than provide evidence of non-existence of God. He calls Dawkins concept of God as a humanoid God that is an idea of God that can conform to human psyche rather than has His own independent existence outside human experience. In another article he questioned the validity of Bertrand Russell's bi-elemental emphasis of human existence i.e. body and mind^[4] while rejecting the concept of a soul. He presented a counter argument that human experience is not possible without interaction of body, mind and soul.

As an op-ed columnist

Kundi has been contributing op-ed essays to leading Pakistani newspapers The Frontier Post, The Daily Times, Daily Pakistan Today and weekly Pakistan Chronicle. He has written speeches and advised politicians on election campaigns. His op-ed columns cover topics related to politics, social issues and foreign policy.

He was the first opinion maker to present an idea that the Palestinian bid for UN Security Council membership was supported by United States of America through backdoor diplomatic channels. His theory was based on the view that American strategic focus is shifting from Middle East to South Asia; Israel's intransigent to engage in a viable peace process; pressure from American allies Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to support Palestinian membership in the UN.^[5] This idea was subsequently confirmed when Palestinian application for UNESCO was accepted by a majority vote which could become a precursor to full UN membership.^[6] In a speech US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned that Israel will be diplomatically isolated if they do not find a solution to the Middle East Peace process.^[7]

In his writing Kundi has presented contemporary views of Islamic Economic System^[8][9] and Islamic Social system.^[10] His main source for these ideas is Quran, interpreted in the light of discoveries in technology and developments in the social science in the 21st century.

In a 14 December 2011 article Kundi presented the idea of emergence of a new multi-polar world order. In this new order American hegemony is challenged by a collaboration of Sino-Russo alliance resulting in a new cold war.^[11]

As an author

Kundi has written three books titled "Freedom by Choice", "Lessons from Quran" and "Islamic Social Contract".

Freedom by Choice is a collection of writings covering political landscape of Pakistan, reforms in the Muslim world and US-Pakistan relations.

Lessons from Quran is a compilation of Quranic verses based on the social values offered by it.

Islamic Social Contract is presentation of a political system derived from Quran and Sunnah of Mohammad. This book offers a political structure including rights and duties of the citizens; roles and responsibilities of political institutions; economic system and foreign relations.

Political life

Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi spoke at a PTI jalsa in Shorkot during election campaign 2013

Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi spoke at a PTI jalsa in Muryali during election 2013 campaign

Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi spoke during PTI election campaign jalsa in Sardarewalla D I Khan

Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi spoke during Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf Jalsa in Wanda Baloch D I Khan during election 2013 campaign

Kundi had been active in community politics for over a decade. He became a member of the constitutional review committee of the Pakistan Association of Greater Houston (PAGH). He was actively involved in the election campaign of MJ Khan to become elected member of city council of Houston, which is the fifth largest city in the US. He has written speeches and advised politicians on their election campaigns.

In 2010, he joined Pakistan Tehrike Insaaf after lengthy discussions with Chairman of PTI Imran Khan in Islamabad. He is a member of PTI Central Tarbiyati Council in charge of module development and third most liked PTI leader on facebook after chairman Imran Khan.

He is active in developing the PTI team in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank areas of Khber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK). During his visit to D I Khan in October 2011, he nominated Imran Khan as a candidate of PTI for NA-24 in a press conference. The nomination has to be formally accepted by Imran Khan once the election dates are announced and parliamentary board accepts it.

Kundi was recommended by the PTI District President as a preferred candidate for NA-24 Dera Ismail Khan to participate in 2013 general elections. This recommendation was made in the light of his contribution towards developing the support for PTI and his popularity among PTI volunteers and tabdeeli razakar in Dera Ismail Khan area. The ticket was awarded to another applicant by the Central Parliamentary Board (CPB) of PTI ignoring the recommendation of the District President.

After the intra-party elections of PTI, Kundi has been leading the efforts to institutionalize the party. He was the first party member to highlight that no office bearer is above the law including Chairman Imran Khan. He filed many petitions with Secretary General of PTI to uphold the constitution and demanded that meeting of central executive committee should be held every 60 days as stipulated by the party constitution. He opposed dharna of PTI and resignation from NA based on the principles that these decisions were taken by an unconstitutional organ and no political basis were provided for engaging in politics of agitation. He led the efforts to implement the orders of PTI election tribunal headed by Justice (r) Wajihuddin. Majority of PTI members supported these institutionalization efforts of Kundi.

As member of Central Tarbiyati Council (CTC) of PTI, he led development of curriculum. He developed training modules that covered constitutional, cultural and political training of PTI grass roots cadre. Because of lack of support from the top leadership CTC was not able to implement the training program.

References

External links

• Kundi, Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi (2012), Islamic Social Contract, Amazon, p. 126, ISBN 978-1479183081, retrieved 5 May 2013 
• Kundi, Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi (2012), Lessons from Quran, Amazon, p. 184, ISBN 978-1477593790, retrieved 5 May 2013 
• Kundi, Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi (2012), Freedom by Choice, Amazon, p. 342, ISBN 978-1477536940, retrieved 5 May 2013 
• Mid-term elections: is it the answer? published in The Daily Times, Lahore on 30 December 2010
• Reconstruction through trade – published in The Daily Times on 25 August 2010
• March Towards Democracy – published in Pakistan Link in April 2010
• Pakistan Chamber of Commerce organize Coal Forum – published in the Nation 24 September 2010