Aamer Rafique Qureshi

Aamer Rafique Qureshi is a Lahore businessman who builds companies by bringing the right people together. He is the Founder and Chairman of ARQ Group of Companies, Chairman of the Pakistan Restaurants Unity Association, and Managing Partner of Poet Hospitality Group. Most of what he knows about business, he learned on a restaurant floor.

Who Is Aamer Rafique Qureshi?

Ask people in Lahore’s restaurant trade about Aamer Rafique Qureshi and you’ll usually hear two things. He runs restaurants himself, so he knows what a bad month actually feels like. And he knows almost everyone, which makes him the person others call when an industry problem needs a room full of the right people.

He describes himself as a business strategist, and the description fits. His work moves between running his own businesses, representing restaurant owners as Chairman of PRU, and advising developers and investors on how food and hospitality can make or break a commercial project.

Founder and Chairman of ARQ Group

Aamer founded ARQ Group of Companies, a diversified Pakistani business group based in Gulberg, Lahore, and leads it as Chairman. He sets the group’s direction and oversees governance across its companies. The group’s companies include:

• Poet Hospitality Group — restaurants, rooftop dining, catering and events in Lahore
• Poet Developers (Pvt.) Ltd. — real estate development and investment
• MARHABA Pakistan Tourism — travel and hospitality management for visitors to Pakistan
• Brand Bull Marketing & Advertising Agency — outdoor advertising and retail branding
• SS Legal Support Services — legal support coordination for individuals, businesses and Overseas Pakistanis
• SS Paralegal Services — documentation, records and attestation support

The thread running through all of them is simple: build businesses that serve real, everyday needs, and run them with people you trust. See all ARQ Group companies.

A Restaurant Operator First

Aamer’s reputation in hospitality comes from running restaurants, not just talking about them. As Managing Partner of Poet Hospitality Group, he oversees Poet Mughlai, an indoor fine-dining restaurant at Lake City Mall, and Poet Rooftop Garden, a multi-cuisine rooftop venue in the same mall. Poet also offers catering and event planning in Lahore.

Running a mall restaurant teaches you things no feasibility report covers: how footfall shifts between weekdays and weekends, what a food court next door does to your covers, and why a rooftop lives or dies on its lift. Read more about Poet Hospitality Group.

Chairman, Pakistan Restaurants Unity Association (PRU)

As Chairman of the Pakistan Restaurants Unity Association, a registered body representing restaurant and hospitality businesses, Aamer speaks for owners on the issues that hit them hardest: taxation, regulation, operating hours and the cost of doing business. Under his leadership, PRU has held press conferences on industry concerns, covered in national media including Dawn.

He often makes the point that restaurants are not just businesses. They support the livelihoods of a very large number of families across Pakistan, from cooks and waiters to suppliers and delivery riders. More on his industry leadership roles.

Advising Developers and Restaurant Owners

Aamer’s hands-on experience is the basis of ARQ Group’s consulting work. He advises restaurant owners and investors on concepts, launches and turnarounds. He also works with real estate developers who are planning malls, mixed-use buildings and housing societies, where the food and dining offer can decide whether people visit at all.

His view is straightforward: plan F&B before the building is designed, not after. Kitchens, exhaust, seating and tenant mix are far cheaper to get right on paper than to fix after handover. See restaurant and hospitality consulting.

Connecting People

Much of Aamer’s work happens around a table. He regularly hosts business networking dinners, including at Gymkhana Lahore, bringing together CEOs and senior professionals from different industries. He has spoken on business panels, including one organised by the Qasim Ali Shah Foundation in August 2025, and ARQ Group collaborated on the Pak-China Love Festival 2025 trade expo at Expo Centre Lahore on 18–19 October 2025.

He shares his work and thoughts with a large following on social media, including more than 75,000 followers on Instagram. See interviews and events.

Get in Touch

For partnerships, consulting, speaking or media requests, contact the Chairman’s office at ARQ Group. Follow Aamer on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram (@aamerqureshi222) and YouTube using the links in the footer.