Envoy vows to highlight country’s soft image, fetch investment

MANSEHRA: Pakistan’s ambassador to Switzerland and Vatican City (Rome) Aamir Shaukat Khan has been asked by the government to highlight the soft image of the country in Europe and bring foreign investment.

“I have met with President of Pakistan Arif Alvi before my departure to assume my responsibilities and he asked me to promote the country’s soft imagine and bring the investment, particularly in tourism field and work for the interfaith harmony,” he said at a reception hosted in his honour by Sahibzada Jawad Alfaizi here on Sunday.

The prominent personalities, businessmen, lawmakers, journalists and district admin officials were present on the occasion.

The ambassador said that Pakistan, particularly Hazara division and Giligit-Baltistan were rich with natural beauty and he would motivate the business community from Switzerland to launch the tourism-related projects here.

“Currently, around 30 Swiss companies are working in our country and I have to enhance this number to boost the foreign investment in our country,” he added.

The ambassador said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had already invited Pope Francis to visit Pakistan in a situation where Islamophobia was growing rapidly in the west.

“I am also the ambassador of the Vatican City (Rome) and would meet the Pope and invite him to Pakistan as none of the Catholic Church’s sovereign has visited our country since 1987,” Aamir Shaukat Khan said.

Deputy Commissioner Qasim Ali Khan, Sahibzada Jawad Alfaizi, parliamentary secretary for Science and Technology MNA Prince Nawaz Khan, Chief Minister’s assistant on Population MPA Ahmad Hussain Shah, a former principal Scout of Cadet College Batrasi, Brigadier (r) Abdul Hafiz, erstwhile member of the Supreme Court Judicial Commission Shahjehan Khan Swati, Director, Jinnah Colleges Fayyaz Ahmad, a former president of the Mansehra Press Club Nisar Ahmad Khan and president of the District Bar Association Bilal Khan addressed the reception as well.