Afiniti ski group encourages investment in Pak, hosts wedding atop Karakoram

In his attempts to restore the positive image of Pakistan, Zia Chishti recently embarked on a journey to the country’s mountainous region. Chishti and his group, known as the Afiniti ski group that entails several global business tycoons, aim to convince the international community that Pakistan is now a country safe for investments.

The trip features multi-millionaires like Alessandro Benetton and Huawei Technologies Co. rotating CEO Guo Ping, the latter signing an agreement deal to cater Eastern customers in China, Japan and Australia. The sole purpose to initiate this trip was to let the world now that the once-announced ‘most dangerous place’ by The Economist, is now open to international investments and businesses.

“Pakistan by any reasonable and adaptive measure is an extremely safe place to do business,” said Chishti.

Having to fight battles from militant, insurgent groups over the years, the crime and terrorism rate in the country has dropped considerably. This has opened doors of tourism and business opportunities in the country.

And it is not long before this tour started bearing fruits.

A foreign couple recently tied knots atop K-2, something the Afiniti members did not expect to experience.

What seemed to be a surreal feeling, Richard Timothy, 76, and Brenda Shrader, fell in love and said their vows, during the ‘air safari’ trip organized by TRG, Chishti’s company.

The couple, dressed in traditional Pakistani attire, was accompanied by Chishti and priest, while the rest of the board members and guests waited at the Serena Shigar Hotel in a nearby valley.