Interview:
Veqar-ul-Islam
CEO
Jaffer Business Systems (JBS)
Profile
Veqar ul Islam is an accomplished corporate leader and entrepreneur with significant expertise in the technology and enterprise sectors. Throughout his career, he has occupied senior leadership positions in international companies including Comptel Corporation, Nokia, Siemens, and NCR Corporation.
Currently, he holds the position of Director at Jaffer Group and serves as CEO of Jaffer Business Systems (JBS), where he directs the strategic vision and expansion efforts in both local and international markets. Under his guidance, JBS is actively enhancing its offerings in enterprise technology, digital transformation, and AI-driven solutions, assisting organisations in managing change and preparing for the future.
In addition to his corporate achievements, Veqar is a well-regarded public speaker and has been a Policy Board Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). His leadership philosophy centres on prioritising people, forward-thinking, and establishing organisations that develop purposefully, foster meaningful opportunities, and achieve lasting success.
“JBS currently has customers in 13 countries and operations in three, including Pakistan. We see opportunities in the Middle East, North America and other markets”
Here is a Q&A session with Veqar-ul-Islam, CEO of Jaffer Business Systems (JBS), for Flare.
Flare: How has your global experience shaped your leadership at JBS?
Veqar-ul-Islam: Working with global technology organisations introduced me to different markets, cultures and operating models. I learnt that technology alone is rarely a long-term differentiator. Strong systems, processes, policies and institutional frameworks drive sustainable success.
This shaped my leadership philosophy around empathy, differentiation and future relevance. Leaders should create an environment where people take ownership, challenge conventional thinking and keep learning, while maintaining purpose and execution discipline.
Our vision is not simply to be a technology provider but a long-term transformation partner, connecting infrastructure, applications, data, AI and emerging technologies to create measurable business value.
Flare: What are JBS’s strategic priorities?
Veqar-ul-Islam: Our strategy is based on three ideas: execute, extend and expand. We will strengthen our established capabilities, extend into AI, intelligent automation, consulting, digital platforms and emerging technologies, and expand internationally.
AI, talent development and sustainable growth are major priorities. JBS covers a broad technology spectrum, including consulting, data centres, networks, security, enterprise applications, energy solutions, semiconductors and AI. Our combination of technology partnerships and skilled people is a key strength.
Flare: How is JBS helping organisations adopt AI responsibly?
Veqar-ul-Islam: AI should begin with business problems, not technology. We identify areas where it can improve productivity, automate workflows, extract intelligence from data, enhance customer experience or accelerate decision-making.
We support organisations across strategy, governance, data readiness, infrastructure, AI solutions, automation and adoption. Responsible implementation requires understanding data use, governance and human oversight. AI initiatives should ultimately deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, revenue, customer experience, risk management or decision quality.
Flare: Which areas offer the greatest digital transformation opportunities?
Veqar-ul-Islam: Three areas stand out: intelligent automation, data and modernisation. Automation can eliminate inefficient manual processes, while stronger data foundations can improve decisions and unlock greater AI value.
Many enterprises also rely on legacy systems that limit agility. Modernising infrastructure and applications while integrating cloud, AI and modern platforms can make organisations faster, more connected and competitive.
Flare: How can organisations balance innovation with security and governance?
Veqar-ul-Islam: Innovation and governance should complement each other. Security, privacy and governance must be considered from the beginning, not after deployment.Organisations need clear policies for data use, model access, accountability, human oversight and ethics. Good governance creates the guardrails that allow innovation to scale responsibly.
Flare: How can Pakistan develop globally competitive technology talent?
Veqar-ul-Islam: Pakistan’s young population is a major opportunity, but a large talent pool does not automatically mean globally competitive skills. Academia and industry must work more closely to expose students to real technologies, business challenges and practical environments.
Industry should make continuous learning part of its culture, particularly in AI, data, cybersecurity, cloud and automation. Government can support digital infrastructure, entrepreneurship, industry-academia links and access to global markets. Combining our demographic advantage with the right skills can significantly expand Pakistan’s technology exports.
Flare: What role should regulation play in innovation?
Veqar-ul-Islam: Good regulation should create confidence without unnecessarily restricting innovation. Regulatory frameworks should be principles-based, consultative and adaptable, allowing new technologies and business models to develop responsibly.Regulators need close engagement with industry, particularly in financial services, data and AI. Protecting stakeholders while giving businesses room to experiment is essential for building trust and encouraging innovation.
Flare: How does JBS build a people-focused culture?
Veqar-ul-Islam: Businesses grow when their people grow. At JBS, we encourage ownership, continuous learning and contributions beyond job descriptions. We want people to feel they are building something rather than simply working for an organisation.
Purposeful growth also means developing people, capabilities and customer relationships, not just increasing revenue. Our value of moving from “me to we” reflects our belief that individual ambition and collective purpose should reinforce each other.
Flare: What are Pakistan’s biggest technology-sector challenges?
Veqar-ul-Islam: One major challenge is our mindset towards technology. We need stronger systems, processes, rules and data. Technology is too often treated as a nice-to-have rather than a necessity.Technology can improve transparency, accountability, data-based decision-making, innovation and growth. Pakistan needs to focus more on institutional strength rather than individual strength.
Businesses also need greater policy consistency in economic, taxation, technology and investment frameworks. The gap between graduates and market-ready skills must be addressed through stronger industry-academia collaboration.
We should also move beyond being primarily a source of low-cost technology services and focus on products, platforms, intellectual property and specialised capabilities that compete through innovation and value.
Flare: Where do you see JBS in the next five years?
Veqar-ul-Islam: Our growth strategy rests on people, portfolio and territories. We aim to hire, retain and develop young talent, keep our portfolio future-relevant and expand internationally.
JBS currently has customers in 13 countries and operations in three, including Pakistan. We see opportunities in the Middle East, North America and other markets.
Enterprise technology will remain our foundation, increasingly connected with AI, data, automation, platforms and consulting. Most importantly, we want to continue building new capabilities and businesses. Organisations remain relevant when they are prepared to reinvent themselves, and our focus is to build the people and capabilities that will keep JBS strong for the next generation.
