Pakistan’s High Commissioner (HC) to UK Mohammad Nafees Zakaria has said Pakistan is a land of economic opportunities and the UK and Pakistan could both benefit through utilisation of available resources and expertise of the two countries.
Nafees Zakaria was speaking at the fringe event organised by the mission at the Labour Party Annual Conference at Brighton.
Given the deepening humanitarian crisis in Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IOK), importance attached to humanitarian issues and Labour Party’s historically unequivocal support to the rightful cause of the Kashmiri people, the High Commission’s event attracted a large number of Labour MPs, MEPs, Party Members, Parliamentary Candidates as well as members of the civil society.
HC Zakaria said Pakistan-UK relations enjoy strong political goodwill, coupled with the presence of 1.5 million affluent and resourceful Pakistani Diaspora that serves as a solid foundation for mutually beneficial relations in diverse fields of society and economy. He said that the strong goodwill that exists at all levels between the two countries needs to be translated in equally strong economic ties.
Giving an overview of the investment and trade opportunities in Pakistan, Nafees Zakaira said the country is rapidly gaining investors’ attention as the security challenge has been successfully overcome and infrastructure has significantly improved. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan is leading the economic reforms to facilitate investors and to ensure ease of doing business. He shared with the audience a list of projects ready for investment and doing business. He particularly invited UK’s Fintech and IT companies to benefit from Pakistan’s trained human resource and exploit the potential to the mutual advantage.
Zakaria expressed deep concern over the humanitarian crisis resulting from continuous siege of millions of defenseless Kashmiris by the Indian forces which has created food and medicine shortages in the region causing extreme sufferings and deaths. He said human rights of the Kashmiri people were being violated for decades. These are crimes against humanity well documented by reputable international organisations like UNOHCHR, HRW, Amnesty International, International People’s Tribunal and others, the High Commissioner underscored.
Pakistani envoy invited attention of the audience towards mass graves in IoK and enforced disappearance and fake encounters related to it, deliberate mass blinding of youth with pellet guns, and rape of Kashmiri women as an instrument of war by Indian occupation forces. He hoped that the UK would play its due role in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir. He emphasized delivery of justice to the Kashmiri victims of Indian atrocities and holding the perpetrators accountable.
A number of MPs, MEPs and Labour Party Leaders spoke on the occasion. They condemned the human rights violations and the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir and urged India to restore the fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people immediately by lifting the siege. They also reaffirmed their Party’s commitment with the oppressed Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination. The Parliamentarians emphasized on peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions.
Earlier, HC Zakaria had an interaction with Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn MP at the Conference and briefly exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and concern. Zakaria thanked for his Party’s support to the Kashmiri people on humanitarian grounds. Corbyn welcomed the High Commissioner to the conference.
HC also separately met Parliamentarians and Councillors and exchanged views on issues of common interest, including the grave human rights situation in Kashmir.
