Alibaba co-founder makes surprise visit to Pakistan

Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba, after a recent visit to Kathmandu, Nepal, has arrived in Islamabad as part of an unforeseen trip to Pakistan.

Ma, an English teacher-turned-businessman from China, reportedly landed in Pakistan on a chartered aircraft provided by Hong Kong Business Aviation on Thursday.

He arrived in Kathmandu on a Tuesday in the late afternoon, and he spent his stay at the Dwarika Hotel. He travelled around Kathmandu during his stay, visiting places like Thamel, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, and the Kalimati vegetable market.

Ma was also welcomed by Pakistani business executive and entrepreneur Javed Afridi via Twitter.

Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, the former state minister of and chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), announced his arrival in the country on Twitter, saying: "The founder of @AlibabaGroup, @JackMa, has arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan." 

He tweeted: "Accompanying him are a team of seven individuals, consisting of five Chinese nationals, one American citizen & one Danish citizen."

He also revealed in the tweet that the businessman's visit is "purely a private visit" and added that even the China Embassy is not aware of the details of his visit and engagements in Pakistan.

Chinese businessman, financier, and philanthropist Jack Ma Yun is the co-founder of Alibaba Group, a global conglomerate of technology companies. Formerly, he was also known as the richest man in China.

Additionally, Yunfeng Capital, a Chinese private equity firm, was co-founded by Ma.

Ma is the most well-known Chinese billionaire to vanish during a crackdown on tech entrepreneurs. The South China Morning Post reported that he just recently arrived back in China after spending more than a year abroad.