Pakistan’s High Commissioner (HC) to the UK Mohammad Nafees Zakaria has said that the current government gained the confidence of foreign investors and many investors have already shown their interest to invest in various fields.
“The government would provide all facilities to those investors who are willing to invest in Pakistan,” the HC said while addressing a reception hosted by Liberal Democrats Friends of Pakistan at the annual Party Conference in Bournemouth. A large number of LibDem Lords, MPs, MEPs, party members, parliamentary candidates as well as members of the civil society and human rights activists were present on the occasion.
Giving an overview of the economic opportunities in Pakistan, Zakaria said that the country was rapidly gaining investors’ attention as the security challenge had been successfully overcome and infrastructure significantly improved. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was 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. He particularly invited UK’s Fintech and IT companies to set up their branches in Pakistan, which is the most competitive business destination in the region in terms of price and availability of human resource. He said that the strong goodwill that existed at all levels between the two countries could be translated in terms of economic dividends.
Acknowledging the importance of 1.5 million-strong Pakistani diaspora, providing a solid foundation to bilateral relations, Zakaria expressed confidence that the diaspora would be instrumental in Pakistan’s drive to promote bilateral relations, investment, trade and tourism with the United Kingdom.
The Pakistani HC availed the opportunity to highlight the humanitarian crisis resulting from continuous siege of millions of defenseless Kashmiris by the Indian forces, which had created food and medicine shortages in the region, causing unspeakable sufferings and deaths. He said human rights of 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.
NafeesZakaria draw the attention of the audience towards mass graves in IHK and enforced disappearance and fake encounters related to it, deliberate mass blinding of youth with pellet guns, and rape of Kashmiri women as a tool to deter indigenous self-determination movement. He hoped that the UK would play its due role in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir. He emphasisedon delivery of justice to the Kashmiri victims of Indian atrocities and holding the perpetrators accountable.
Lib Dem Lords, MPs and MEPs spoke on the occasion. They reaffirmed their party’s commitment to promoting mutually beneficial relations between Pakistan and the UK. They acknowledged the huge economic potential of Pakistan that British businesses could benefit from and bring two countries further closer. All of them expressed deep concern on the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir and urged India to restore the fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people immediately. The parliamentarians also emphasised on peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute so that Pakistan and India could focus on poverty alleviation and human development.
Earlier, during the first day of the Lib Dem Conference, the high commissioner met former Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable MP and several Lords, MEPs, MPs, party members and parliamentary candidates. He held useful discussions with them on a wide range of areas pertaining to bilateral economic cooperation, trade and investment promotion, and the Kashmir crisis.
In an expression of solidarity and out of humanitarian concerns, the Lib Dem Muslims Forum has set up an exclusive stall under the title of “LibDem Friends of Kashmir” to highlight Indian atrocities. They urged the British government to work multilaterally within the EU, the Commonwealthand the United Nations to ask the government of India to lift the siege, end media and communications blackout and release those arrested without warrants.
