Prospects of UK-Pakistan economic collaborations bright, says Zubair

Governor says 100 UK-based companies working

for economic cooperation with Pakistan

The ups and downs in UK-Pakistan ties were left behind long ago and we’ll be working in right earnest to develop economic ties with the United Kingdom.

These remarks were made by Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair while addressing a reception held at the UK Deputy High Commission on Friday to celebrate the 91st birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.

Zubair said the UK had been Pakistan’s largest partner in development and at present there were 100 UK-based companies working for economic cooperation with Pakistan.

He said that now that the law and order situation had greatly improved in Karachi, prospects of further Pak-UK cooperation were very bright.

He said Karachi had the potential for rapid development. All economic indicators, he said, were positive and this had even been acknowledged by the international media. “We look forward to a fruitful UK-Pakistan cooperation.”

Speaking earlier, Thomas Drew, the UK high commissioner to Pakistan, who had flown in from Islamabad for the occasion, said: “This is a particularly important year as we are celebrating 70 years of UK-Pakistan ties. While we will certainly remember all the experiences that have brought us together over the last 70 years, what is important is how we build on that for the future.

“Our development programme in Pakistan remains our largest in the world. What, however, is important is building the strong commercial and economic relationships that will safeguard the future of both of us. Karachi, the world’s sixth largest city, will remain central to that.”

He thanked Belinda Lewis, the UK deputy high commissioner in Karachi, for her hospitality and the “excellent arrangements”.

Belinda Lewis said, “Her majesty’s birthday is a great opportunity to reflect on how much the UK and Pakistan have in common, from our shared passions of cricket and food, to our cultural collaboration in fashion and literature. We are both outward facing and trading nations and I expect this and all other aspects of our relationship to grow ever-stronger over the next 70 years and beyond.”

A smartly turned-out detachment from the army band of the Prince of Wales Division, which had been especially flown in from the UK, entertained the guests to music and played the national anthems of both Pakistan and the UK.