CURRENT and former MPs from all parties gathered at the House of Commons to celebrate the 90th birthday of Sir Anwar Pervez, the founder of retailer Bestway Group.
The event took place in the Churchill Room and was hosted by Lord Choudrey. Guests included former Lord chancellor Sir Brandon Lewis, former ministers Tom Tugendhat and Lord Maude, and MPs from Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, according to a statement.
Former ministers praised Sir Anwar's contribution to British society. Tugendhat and Lord Maude described him as "a living embodiment of everything that is good in British Society".
Sir Brandon told guests how Bestway had helped his family's small business grow during the 1980s. He said this showed how Sir Anwar had supported independent businesses throughout his career.
Both Lord Maude and Sir Brandon spoke about trips to Pakistan that Sir Anwar had organised for them when they served as Tory chairs.
During the event, Pakistan's high commissioner to the UK, Dr Mohammad Faisal, and Lord Khan of Burnley highlighted his role in strengthening ties between Britain and Pakistan.
Sir Anwar's story began in a small village in Pakistan. He came to Britain in 1956 at the age of 21 with little money. After working various jobs in Bradford, he moved to London and opened his first shop in 1963.
He founded Bestway in 1976, which has since grown into a multi-billion pound business employing over 47,000 people worldwide. The company operates across food wholesale, pharmaceuticals, cement and banking.
Bestway Wholesale now has 62 depots across the UK and serves 100,000 retailers. The company has a yearly turnover of £3 billion and owns more than 200 shops. It also runs the Costcutter, best-one and Bargain Booze chains.
The Asian entrepreneur also set up the Bestway Foundation, which has given over £44 million to charities. The foundation focuses on helping people from poor backgrounds improve their lives through education and opportunity.
This year marks both Sir Anwar's 90th birthday and Bestway Group's 50th anniversary, the statement added.
