FORMER prime minister Lord David Cameron led an emotional and heartfelt tribute to Sir Anwar Pervez at a glittering event at the Royal Albert Hall, marking the business titan’s 90th birthday alongside the 50th anniversary of the Bestway Group.
The grand celebration brought together around 800 guests, including senior politicians, diplomats and leading figures from the grocery, pharmacy and finance sectors – industries where Bestway holds a dominant presence – to honour the extraordinary life and achievements of the self-made entrepreneur whose journey from rural Pakistan to British business royalty has inspired generations.
“Only in Britain could someone go from being a bus conductor to a billionaire businessman purely through their own blood, toil, tears and sweat. That was Sir Anwar’s way – the hard way, the long way, the best way,” Lord Cameron said in his keynote speech.
The Royal Albert Hall event marked the culmination of several weeks of tributes to Sir Anwar, including a reception in the Churchill Room of the House of Commons and tea in the Royal Box at Royal Ascot with Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Praising Sir Anwar’s “extraordinary record in promoting healthcare and education both in the UK and in Pakistan,” Cameron described him as the “real king of convenience” and “ambassador of shopkeepers.” He lauded Bestway as a business that had grown big while supporting the small – empowering thousands of independent retailers in the UK and overseas.
“Yours is a business that isn’t just entrepreneurial, it enables other entrepreneurs,” he said. “Every small shop run by families like yours, working around the clock like you, that is who you help. And you don’t just give them a good price. You give them a profile, a voice. Your status confers upon them a status of their own.”
Cameron’s speech touched on the core values that have defined Sir Anwar’s life – enterprise, family, and community.
Sir Anwar Pervez “When we think of that generation who answered the call for workers, we tend to discuss and focus on how little they arrived with. Tonight, I want to focus on how much they brought with them, the values that drove them, that sustained them, the values with which they helped to rebuild this country, the values that Sir Anwar embodies,” he said.
“Sir Anwar proves what most entrepreneurs know. There is no such thing as overnight success, just night after night of hard work, late shifts, early starts, long hours, grit and grind.”
Cameron also drew a parallel between Sir Anwar and the late Margaret Thatcher, noting that both understood the power of family-run enterprise. “You have created the paragon of the family firm,” he said. “Family members are the reason you do it, that very deep desire of humans to look after our own, to care for families, to pass something on to future generations.”
The evening, hosted by TV and radio presenter Dermot O’Leary, featured performances by mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, organist Anna Lapwood, and Qawwali maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, bringing together musical talent from both the UK and Pakistan. But it was the legacy of the businessman at the centre of the celebration that took centre stage.
Lord Zameer Choudrey, chairman of Bestway Group and Sir Anwar’s nephew, paid personal tribute to the man he called their “guide, inspiration, and father figure.”
“It is solely because of Sir Anwar that I was afforded the opportunity of moving across to the UK at the age of 12, from which point I witnessed firsthand the incredible journey Sir Anwar and Bestway has been on,” Lord Choudrey said.
“It has been a journey that has been underpinned by determination, hard work and vision. He could easily have paused the journey at any moment, but his vision and pursuit of growth needs to be recognised and applauded.”
Founded in 1976, Bestway Group began as a single convenience store in west London and has grown into one of the UK’s most successful family-owned conglomerates, with an annual turnover of more than £5 billion. Today it is the UK’s largest independent cash and carry operator through Bestway Wholesale, and the second-largest retail pharmacy chain in the country through Well Pharmacy. In Pakistan, the group is a dominant player through Bestway Cement, the country’s second-largest cement producer, and United Bank, the largest private bank and third-largest bank overall.
Employing over 47,000 people and serving more than 12 million customers across the UK, Pakistan and the Middle East, the group is also the largest overseas investor in Pakistan.
“The business that he has founded or has acquired has led to the creation of thousands of jobs and supported communities across the UK and Pakistan. More importantly, the businesses are reflection of his values and ethics,” said Lord Choudrey. “He has embedded in each the Bestway culture of resilience and forward progress. These values will endure.”
Lord Zameer Choudrey, Sir Anwar Pervez and Lord David CameronBestway
Equally impressive is the charitable impact. The Bestway Foundation, established under Sir Anwar’s guidance, has donated over £50 million to causes in health, education, and social mobility. Each year, it supports over 3,000 university students and provides free healthcare to 35,000 people. “He has never forgotten those who have helped him and never takes anyone for granted. He has always felt responsible for the community he has operated in. I know he reflects his great pride in the achievements of Bestway Foundation,” said Choudrey.
The evening brought together business and political figures – including London mayor Sadiq Khan, former chancellor Sajid Javid, exminister Tariq Ahmad, and Baroness Warsi – along with friends and family from Bestway’s five-decade journey.
As Cameron concluded in his tribute: “When I look at your life, the values you’ve lived by, and I think of the difficulties we face as a nation today, it is so clear that we need more of what you brought and what you have lived your life by – enterprise, family, community.”
