Among wealthy elite, Pakistan Pavilion makes debut

Move meant to promote country’s soft image at world leaders’ gathering

DAVOS/ SWITZERLAND: In a positive message to the global community, the ‘Pakistan Pavilion’ made its debut on the snow-covered Promenade strip of Davos, a move meant to project a soft image of the country among the wealthy business elites of the world.

Pakistan has been a subject of negative news for several reasons, and also suffers due to terrorism-related incidents, often leading to inadequate promotion at key global events. Unlike the past, however, this year Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi participated in a session at the 48 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).



But this event was limited to only a formal gathering.

A lot more continues to happen on the sidelines of the WEF, almost all of it at the expensive Promenade strip of Davos, which is adjacent to the Congress Centre where all formal activities take place.

The Pakistan Pavilion that has been set up at the Panorama Hotel is in the middle of the India Adda and Google House. Besides Indian Adda, there is also a ‘India Invest’ forum by the confederation of Indian industries.

The Pakistan Pavilion is almost in front of the five-star Steignberger Grandhotel Belverde where this year the University of Chicago was holding a reception with Microsoft CEO and alumnus Satya Nadella.

Pakistan Pavilion made the debut on the strip with Ukraine House. The private sector would try to present the country’s perspective with limited available resources.

The strip is also a temporary house to Zurich Insurance, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank that take over prime space on Promenade to project themselves.

The Pakistan Pavilion is set up with financial assistance of Pakistan’s PathFinder Group and Martin Dow Group in association with the Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce.

“Pakistan should be projected somehow and pavilion is an experiment in that direction,” said Ikram Sehgal, chairman of Pathfinder Group. Nationals from various countries and heads of some companies are coming to see what Pakistan offers to the world, he added.

People from various walks of life have been invited from Pakistan to present their points of view at the prime gathering of global elites, said Sehgal.

Khawar Rafiq, chief executive officer at Rafiq Engineering Industries, said ignoring Davos gathering is not an option. He said that the Pakistan Pavilion is the first step to making the country’s presence felt.



Promoting Pakistan’s cause is not an easy task and there is also a need to review Pakistan’s foreign policy by the political leadership, said Mustafa Kamal Qazi, Pakistan’s former Ambassador.

In addition to introducing the soft side of Pakistan, the pavilion also offered the taste of local food to the visiting delegations.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2018.

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