International business tycoons to arrive in Pakistan this month

Special assistant says huge FDI will come from Egypt, Malaysia and Gulf states

LONDON: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was committed to fully protecting and facilitating the overseas Pakistanis and other foreign investors in order to attract huge investment for the prosperity of the country, said Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari.

Addressing the participants of a dinner on the occasion of Eid, hosted by the United Kingdom-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UKPCCI) in London, Bukhari said prudent and business-friendly investment policies of the government would attract huge foreign direct investment (FDI) from Egypt, Malaysia and Gulf countries.

"Nine business tycoons will come to Pakistan with their huge investment plans by the end of June this year," he disclosed.

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Bukhari said the business tycoons wanted to make huge investments in Pakistan, hoping that their investments would be fully protected and facilitated.

"Pakistan offers tremendous opportunities for investors including foreigners in different sectors of the economy with high returns," Bukhari said and urged British-Pakistani investors to take optimum benefit of the opportunities for their own benefit and socio-economic prosperity of Pakistan.

He said the UKPCCI would work on a project of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for the development of the national flag carrier.

He invited UK investors to invest in information technology and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and establish industrial units in these profitable zones. The government would fully facilitate them, he declared.

The government wanted to facilitate overseas Pakistani investors and in that regard, efforts were being made to give representation to members of all overseas chambers on the board of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation and engage them in the development of the country with the help of their investments, the special assistant said.

He said the government was taking a number of measures for the welfare and resolution of problems of overseas Pakistanis, including the establishment of special courts.

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During eight months of the current government, he pointed out, many initiatives had been taken, especially the resolution of property-related issues of the overseas Pakistanis. An overseas Pakistani police station was also being established in Sector F-6/3 of Islamabad for the registration of complaints.

Similar police stations would also be set up in different parts of Punjab and other provinces to facilitate overseas Pakistanis in making complaints and their speedy resolution, the special assistant said, adding the overseas Pakistanis ministry had resolved a number of issues of overseas Pakistanis, which had never been done in the past.

"My office is always open to overseas Pakistanis," Bukhari said, adding in July this year, he was planning to visit the United States and meet Pakistani and US investors to invite them to take benefit of the opportunities in various sectors in Pakistan in a more friendly business atmosphere.

He said he would also visit the Silicon Valley of the United States and invite the companies for investment in the information technology sector in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2019.

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