Our History
Alibhai Lalji migrated from Junagadh, Gujarat, India to Mombasa, Kenya in 1880 to explore business opportunities. His son Hussain also came from India in 1912, but settled in Mwanza, Tanzania (Tanganyika). Alibhai Lalji’s son Hasan Ali and the rest of the family joined Hussain in 1920 in Mwanza, where they jointly ran a general trading store, called Alibhai Lalji & Sons, and made steady progress.


A typical scene at the Alibhai/ Fancy stores in the early 1940s

Hasan Ali liked modernity in dressing and eating. He was meticulously dressed and was easily distinguished in a crowd of Asians. Due to his modern tastes, he was nick named as Hasan Ali Fancy. The Fancy name was adopted by the trading stores and the family.
It was here that Hussain named his brother Hasan’s son Amirali as head of the family.
Amirali Hasan Ali Fancy arrived in Karachi in July 1947 with his brother in law Meghani and took the decision to settle down in Karachi one month before the independence of Pakistan. After concluding a deal to buy an iron and steel re-rolling mill and a godown full of iron and steel scrap, he instructed his family in Africa to dispose off all interests and join him in Pakistan. This decision marked the beginning of a vast business and industrial empire he was to build in Pakistan.
The early days in Karachi were trying times, but with hard work and determination, the businesses prospered establishing the Fancy Group as one of the largest business and industrial groups in the then East and West Pakistan. The groups business included:
- Steel Corporation of Pakistan (SCOP Steel) – now renamed as Metropolitan Steel
- Karachi Gas – now Sui Southern Gas Company
- Commerce Bank
- Pakistan Chrome Mines
- Pakistan Fisheries
- Corning Glass
- New Jubilee Insurance
- Jute mills in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan)
The after effects of the 1971 war, separation of East Pakistan along with the nationalization of heavy industries in 1972, banks in 1974 and large private businesses in 1976, saw the Fancy Group left with little. With the death of Amirali H. Fancy the family decided to migrate and established businesses in the Middle East, UK and the Americas.
The third generation has reinvested in Pakistan, showing its resolve and faith in the country and its people. Today the Fancy Group is well-known for their diversified businesses in industrial management services ranging from Food Processing, Chemical Manufacturing, Water Treatment and Trading, to Education Services and Philanthropy.
The Fancy Group operates solely on the values that put our stakeholders first – be it our shareholders, customers, employees or the community we live in.

Founding Chairman – Amirali Hasanali Fancy (1914 to 1978)
Amirali was one of the five sons of Hasan Ali Fancy. He was born on July 14, 1914 in Mombasa. He studied up to four classes and started his business career at the age of 12 years in 1926. Lots of Europeans came shopping at his store, enabling him to pick up English. His interest grew and he started learning English at the age of 20 years.
His appearance in the arena of community services began when he joined the cooperative societies in the Lake District towns of Tanganyika. He also became a member of the Provincial Council, and then the Supreme Council in East Africa
He became a business magnate very soon in Pakistan, played a pioneering role in the industrial development of Pakistan and made tremendous contributions to the socio-economic activities.
In 1954, he was conferred the “Order of Merit” (Officer of the Order of Merit of Republique Italy) from the Italian government in recognition of his valuable contribution in expansion of trade with Italy. In 1956, he was also a member of trade delegation to East Africa.
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He was the Chairman of Pakistan Oil Refinery Ltd., New Jubilee Insurance Co. Ltd., Pakistan Chrome Mines, Steel Corporation of Pakistan Ltd., Crescent Jute Mills Ltd., Jessore Jute Mills Ltd., Peoples Jute Mills Ltd., Farooq Textile Mills Ltd., Commerce Bank Ltd., Pakistan Tourism, Industrial Management Ltd., etc.
He was also the Director of Karachi Gas Co. Ltd., Sui Gas Transmission Co. Ltd., Pakistan Insurance Corporation Ltd., Karachi Electric Supply Corporation Ltd., Pakistan Services Ltd., Pakistan Industrial Credit & Investment Corporation Ltd., Zeal Pak Cement Factory Ltd., etc.
Besides being associated with import and export houses, the Government of Pakistan had taken him on the Advisory Panel on Investment, Ministry of Finance. He was also the Director and an Advisor to a few other government and non-government organizations.
Outside Pakistan, he was a member of the Advisory Council of the International Industrial Conference and an Executive Committee Member of Pakistan Council, International Chamber of Commerce.
He was the first Chairman of Pak-Ismaili Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, Platinum Jubilee Finance Corporation, Industrial Promotion Services, Pak-Ismailia Publications Ltd., and The Aga Khan Charitable Trust. He was also one of the founders of the periodical, “Ismaili Mirror” which he financed and provided his own office to use.
He was the first President of the Ismailia Federal Council for Pakistan established on March 21, 1961. He was specially assigned to do the ground work for the Aga Khan Foundation in Geneva, which he did, and which is now one of the finest of its kind.
The first ever World Ismaili Socio-Economic Conference was held in Karachi in December 15, 1964. It was a landmark in the Ismaili history, therefore, he worked hard for its success. He was elected as the President of its Executive Board with Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai and Itmadi Ali Muhammad C. Padamsee as the Vice-Presidents.
As the President of the Federal Council, he hosted receptions and dinners for some important personalities of the world, such as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Mr. John Foster Dulles, the Secretary of United States, Malaysian Prime Minister, Sheikh Zaki Yamani, Minister for oil and petroleum of Saudi Arabia, etc. On November 14, 1962, Field Marshall Muhammad Ayub Khan, the President of Pakistan performed an opening ceremony of the Pakistan Oil Refinery Ltd. at Korangi, about 10 miles off Karachi, and then attended the dinner program at the residence of Amir Ali Fancy with ministers and distinguished leaders.
The Ismailis of the Common Wealth presented an honor to Queen Elizabeth in Karachi in February 1961. He represented them along with industrialists.
The prestigious Stanford Research Institute of the United States appointed him a member of the executive committee. The organization holds an annual seminar, when eminent business and industrialist magnates and economists of the world are invited to deliver talks on economic matters at global level. He had the singular honor to be invited from Pakistan. He was also invited to attend meetings of the International Monetary Fund at Washington.
He dwelt in Abu Dhabi since 1975, where he was appointed Special Advisor to Sheikh Faisal bin Sultan al-Kasimi of Sharjah. He was confided to work out a plan for some important industrial projects in North Yemen.
In summary, he was Chairman, Managing Director and Director of 36 to 40 companies before his death, including his own multi-million dollar family concerns of business, industry and mining. He was always kind, sympathetic and a great philanthropist.

Current Chairman – Amir S. Fancy
Entrepreneur, educationist and philanthropist, Amir Fancy draws upon his experience of the past 25 years in working for and establishing successful business ventures in the Middle East and Pakistan.
He is an Oxford Business Alumni – having completed the Oxford University Social Finance, Impact Investing and Impact Measurement Programs at Said Business School. He is a Certified Director having completed the Director Training program and test by the SECP approved Pakistan Institute for Corporate Governance.
His vision is simple – to continue and further build the dual legacy established by his grandparents – his late paternal grandfather, Amirali Fancy, patriarch of the Fancy family as well as from his late maternal grandmother, Nasra Wazir Ali (recipient of the Sitara e Imtiaz).
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An entrepreneurial spirit inherited from both sides of his lineage gives him a unique advantage and a deep personal insight towards building organizations and institutions with a core focus to lead for the future.
Amir is the founder and CEO of multiple companies that include Nasra Public School (Pvt) Ltd, Chemco IWT (Pvt) Limited, Fancy Industrial Management Services (Pvt) Limited, and has lead the growth, development and execution of their long term strategies and continues to be responsible for delivering on future expansion in the region.
During his tenure as Chairman of the Fancy Foundation, established in 1960, he promoted and supported educational and health initiatives for the deserving and needy in Pakistan having established a first of its kind endowment for higher secondary education scholarships with the Aga Khan University Foundation. He continues to remain involved and support these initiatives for deserving students from Karachi to Gilgit-Baltistan & Chitral in the north of Pakistan.
As Managing Trustee of the Education Trust Nasra Schools, established as a not for profit trust in 1949, he manages a large chain schools in the mid to low income areas of Karachi which currently provide good quality, low cost English medium education to approximately 11,000 deserving boys and girls.
A member of the Rotary Club of Pakistan Sunset Millennium, Amir has served as its President in 2009-2010 for which he was recognized with the Best President Award for Pakistan. Further, his club was voted the Best Club in Pakistan for their valuable contribution through their innovative community outreach programs. He has the honor of being a highly recognized Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International as well.
Amir is passionate about creating a social impact with a quest to grow, earn, learn and then give back. His various personal commitments to actively serving on several boards is a testimony to his personal mandate.