PM for turning Pak-Turkey ties into economic partnership

Premier blames socialism for driving business out of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday, while expressing satisfaction over growing Turkish investments in Pakistan, stressed the need for transforming the brotherly bilateral ties into a vibrant economic partnership.

During a meeting with leading Turkish businessmen and investors in Ankara, the prime minister assured investors that Pakistan government would provide all facilities, said a press release received here.

Around 20 leading Turkish investors and businessmen, who have ongoing projects in Pakistan, participated in the first meeting organised by the Turkey-Pakistan Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK).



DEIK President Nail Olpak and Turkey-Pakistan Business Council Chairman Atilla Yerlikaya briefed the prime minister on investments in Pakistan. Turkish CEOs highlighted their existing operations and updated the premier about future plans.

The prime minister said Pakistan was endowed with a wealth of resources, demographic potential and an educated workforce, adding Pakistan’s investment policy offered ideal opportunities to Turkish investors and concerted efforts were being made to further improve the ease of doing business.

Meanwhile, addressing members of the Turkish Business Council, the prime minister said in the 1960s, Pakistan was considered as the fastest growing economy and used to be shown as a real model of development.

“South Korea and Malaysia learnt from Pakistan and both moved ahead,” he said, adding Pakistan deviated because a socialist mindset pervaded that became a deterrent to wealth creation as profit-making was considered a sin.

“This mindset sent the country back and nationalisation took place which forced big businessmen and industrialists to go abroad,” the premier lamented, adding the socialist mindset existed in the bureaucracy, who had envy against those making wealth.

He also told participants that the government believed wealth creation could take the country out of the economic crisis, make it repay debts and steer the people out of poverty.

“To take people out of poverty, we have to allow people to make money. The more money is made, the more wealth is created, the more we have the ability to raise taxes… We can use that money on the bottom tier of our society,” the prime minister said.



He said the government was making every effort to remove impediments in the way of investment and businesses, reiterating his government’s resolve to eradicate corruption which had made it difficult for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to flourish and genuine entrepreneurs to prosper.

He also assured Turkish investors to address their issues in Pakistan, mainly due to the unpredictable policies, adding that by enhancing investment, the government was yearning to increase exports that had been suffering owing to flawed policies.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Planning Khusro Bakhtiar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfikar Bukhari, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkey Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi and Pakistan Consul General in Istanbul Bilal Khan Pasha also accompanied the premier.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2019.

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