NA body censures PM for not visiting Dubai Expo

Federal parliamentary secretary says premier would attend event soon

ISLAMABAD:

A National Assembly panel on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan for not attending the Dubai Expo-2020, saying it was "worrying" that an important event was being "ignored".

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs which met here under the chairmanship of Malik Mohammad Ehsanullah Tiwana, expressed concerns over the premier’s absence in the much-hyped Dubai Expo and noted that it was “worrying” that PM Imran failed to make it to an event that held great economic significance for the country.

Earlier, it was announced that the prime minister will address the Expo on October 9 and will hold key meetings with foreign investors and the Pakistani community on the sidelines of the event. Key ministers of his cabinet are also likely to accompany him, including federal ministers, special assistants and advisers.

The parliamentarians belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) expressed doubts over the reasons the government was keeping the opposition in the dark about the activities taking place in the event.

However, dispelling the doubts, Federal Parliamentary Secretary on Finance Zain Hussain Qureshi assured the panel that PM Imran will certainly attend the expo soon, saying that the premier will take his time. “The event is going to continue for over six months, not six days. The prime minister will go there later when he deems fit,” Qureshi said.

The meeting also discussed the ongoing US-China trade war and its impact on Pakistan’s economy.

In a briefing to the panel, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Syed Hamid Ali held the view that the US sanctions on China’s exports could be used as an opportunity to fill the space left by China.

He said Pakistan could increase its exports to the US and suggested that Pakistan could export commodities such as apparel, footwear, leather, and furniture.