Gwadar offers abundant investment opportunities: Sanjrani

Senate chairman meets British High Commissioner Thomas Drew

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Friday said that improved peace and security situation in the country now underpinned a conducive environment for investment and foreign investors could benefit from the new emerging realities to invest in different sectors.

Talking to British High Commissioner Thomas Drew during a meeting at the Parliament House, he mentioned Balochistan and particularly Gwadar, which offered abundant opportunities for investment. “Gwadar is the future of regional development,” he said.

He stressed that Pakistan highly valued it bilateral relations with the United Kingdom and "we desire to further expand our relations in different sectors". He emphasized the need for providing more scholarships for Pakistani students to study in institutes of higher learning.

Sanjrani called for cooperation in legislative, administrative, research, library, public relations and other areas between the two parliaments to learn and share expertise. “Enhanced parliamentary linkages and institutional collaboration will help build consensus on many issues,” he said.

The high commissioner endorsed the views of the Senate chairman, saying that the security situation in Pakistan had improved a lot. He said that Commonwealth Scholarship scheme and Chevening programme were providing opportunities to Pakistani students to study in the UK.



"The leading flag-carrier British Airways has decided to resume its flight operation from Pakistan which would help contribute towards building investors' confidence for investment in Pakistan," the high commissioner added.

Sanjrani also extended invitation to the British high commissioner to visit Gwadar and see the environment for investment. He also extended invitation to his counterpart in the House of Lords to visit Pakistan.

The Senate chairman especially thanked the UK government, parliament and all parties in the House of Commons for highlighting the Kashmir issue during the recent visit of Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Later, the Senate chairman held a separate meeting with Egypt Ambassador Ahmed Muhammad Fadal Yacoub. In the meeting, both sides underscored the need for joint efforts to promote peace and security at regional and global level.



Sanjrani termed the recent friction between the Muslim Ummah as unfortunate which had marginalised the growth and development of the region. “Dialogue was the only way to resolve our issues. war only brings destruction,” he said. Sanjrani also proposed scholarships for Pakistani students to study at Al Azhar University.

The Egyptian ambassador agreed with the views of the Senate chairman and said that enhanced institutional linkages and bilateral contacts would further pave the way for exploring new avenues of cooperation.