I came into contact with the Iqbal brothers – Pervez, Shahid and Arshad sometime around 1989, when the two younger ones visited our advertising agency at Clifton. Our conversation was mainly focused on their entry into the arena of advertising agency business in Karachi. At that time a number of agencies were established with the blessings, rather patronage, of one corporate client or the other. This was not available to the Iqbal brothers. Nevertheless, they had jumped into it.
The eldest one, Pervez Iqbal, had joined Agha Hasan Abidi’s bank BCCI in the 1980s when he was 24-year old, and after having served in Hong Kong and Beijing was now posted at BCCI Tokyo. Pervez had arranged for his brothers to join him in Japan and helped them find a place as trainees at an ad agency called Big Bang. After 3 years, the two were now back in Karachi.
“Have you thought of a name for your proposed agency?” I asked.
“Yes, we have named it BIG BANG!” Pat came the reply.
Came the tragic downfall of BCCI in 1991, and a large number of highly qualified, trained and well-groomed bankers were out of job overnight. Pervez, too, had to return to Pakistan. His spirit, morale and the will to struggle was intact. The trio set out to make a place in the sun. They did not take time to get their footing in the competitive field and set up an advertising-cum-event management company. Interestingly, when in school and college they had set up a music band called Blue Angels! Pervez was its main program presenter and also performed as a singer. Younger brother Shahid became the drummer and Arshad was good at guitar and was the main singer.
Big Bang got a big break when the young Managing Director of Pak Arab Refinery (PARCO), Dr. Shahid Hak appointed them as their advertising agent. BBCL played a major role in the two big events: inauguration of the PARCO Refinery at Mahmoodkot, and the 4-day South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation (SEARCC) in November 1994. This was a landmark IT event in Pakistan. Javed Jabbar happened to be the chairman of the conference.
There was no stopping after that. They conceived and managed the famous GEO TV serial, “Gao Celebrity Bun Jao”. He graciously invited this scribe to be one of the three judges in this serial. Another popular serial was “LG Awaz Banaye Star”.
The brothers missed no opportunity that came their way. When it came to book publishing, they ended up producing a number of exquisite books: Jimmy Engineer’s voluminous biography In Search of my Master; Dr. Iftikhar Salahuddin’s masterpiece pictorial Jerusalem – A Journey Back in Time; Omar Khan’s Sawdust Castles – A Memoir; Decades of Excellence (ICAP); my own three books: Living Souls -Memories; Song in his Soul – Hasan; and designing the SIUT’s coffee-table book Portraits of Hope. In this sphere I will give credit to younger brother Shahid Iqbal.
We are not used to giving credit to, or extend even muted appreciation of the achievements of a person until he becomes marhoom! The floodgates of accolades are not opened until the condolence meeting is held that appears like a celebratory event. (This is the reason why I advise my friends to write their memoir in their lifetime and not leave it to grieving friends and relations. Or, in the worst case, before dementia or arthritis set in!)
My friend Pervez Iqbal had no time to write his memoir. I wish he had. But never mind. As long as he remains in our heart it is okay. And as I personally see him, I would in all honesty love to affix the following adjectives to his name: charmer, generous, good team leader, master builder of happy personal and business relationships – a fine model to follow.
Rest in peace, my friend, and keep smiling when you visit us in our dream.
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