No excuse left for UK businessmen to invest in Pakistan after improvement in security: envoy

SIALKOT: British Deputy High Commissioner and British Trade Director for Pakistan Mike Nithaviranakis on Tuesday said that the businessmen from Britain and Pakistan had significant potential for promoting bilateral trade ties between the two friendly countries.

He said this while addressing industrialists and exporters at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) during his visit along with a delegation. He lauded Sialkot for its unique export oriented culture of SMEs and its 10 per cent share in the overall exports of Pakistan worth around $24 billion.

He said that he was quite exited after hearing about the Sialkot International Airport, Sialkot Dry Port Trust, Sialkot Tannery Zone and many other projects accomplished by the businessmen of Sialkot on their own.

He said that promotion of the bilateral trade was among his top most priorities and he would be happier if the United Kingdom (UK) bought more goods from Pakistan. Mike Nithaviranakis said that he was seeking to align trade and commerce related objectives of both the nations in order to initiate sustainable growth in bilateral trade.

He opined that textile was an important sector of industry and exports of Pakistan, but there was high time to explore some new and non-conventional sectors and promote them in order to enhance exports.

He said that Pakistan had taken many positive measures towards improving its security situation in the recent years and now there was no excuse left for the British businessmen and business companies to come here and explore new horizons in the local markets.

Mike Nithaviranakis said that Britain would hugely invest in Pakistan’s many sectors in the near future in order to further strengthen bilateral trade ties. Earlier, in his welcome address, SCCI president Malik Muhammad Ashraf said that Pakistan and Britain had been enjoying warm and cordial relations for more than the last seven decades, but their bilateral trade was far less than their actual potential.

He said that volume of trade between both the countries in 2018 was worth about 3.2 billion pound sterling and in favour of Britain. He added that there was an ample room to further enhance it. He said that trade ties with Britain were quite important for Pakistan as former was the third largest destination of Pakistani exports and the third largest investor in Pakistan. He highly appreciated the recently improved travel advisory for Pakistan by the British government.

He urged the businessmen from Britain to come forward and join joint ventures with the local business community. He opined that technology from Britain and skill and craftsmanship from Sialkot could do wonders if joined together. SCCI senior vice president Khurram Azeem Khan, vice president Jalil Aslam and general secretary Tariq Mehmood Malik, Malik Waqas Akram, Nawaz Ahmed Toor, Asim Shafique Sulehria, Sh Adnan Sethi, Mohsin Gul, Ayub Khan, Farooq Meyer, Rana Nadeem, Shabina Gillani, Malik Naseer Ahmed and others were also present on the occasion. Mike Nithaviranakis earlier visited the Sialkot International Airport and a local industrial unit owned by former SCCI president Khawaja Masood Akhtar.