KARACHI: One of the richest families of Pakistan, the father and son belonging to the 'Dawood Family' still missing as the rescue operation of Titanic tourist submersible is under progress.

Dual British-Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 19  who together spent half a million dollars on an exclusive excursion - are part of the Dawood empire, which has become one of the most profitable in Pakistan and known for many philanthropic contributions to the country.

The patriarch at the top of the chain, Shahzada's father Hussain Dawood, is one of Pakistan's richest men, according to local media. After Pakistan was founded in 1947, the Dawoods provided funding to the government and were behind the first wave of industrialisation, Aqeel Karim Dhedhi told foreign news agency, a business tycoon and stock trader in Karachi. He described the family as being "one of the top philanthropic groups in Pakistan", adding: "They don't boast about any of it."

The Dawood conglomerate includes Engro, of which Shahzada is the vice chairman. It boasts investments in energy, agriculture, petrochemical and telecommunications ventures and clocked a revenue of Rs350 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2022.

Educated in the UK and the United States, Shahzada lives in Britain with his wife Christine, his son Suleman and his daughter Alina.

A family statement described Shahzada as a "loving father" with a keen interest in "photography, especially wildlife photography, and exploring different natural habitats". Since the 1960s, the Dawood Foundation has focused on establishing education institutions across Pakistan -- particularly catering to the demand for engineers and technology experts.