Texas and Pakistan to forge closer economic ties

Ambassador Masood Khan and Texas governor discuss cooperation in petroleum, agriculture, climate and engineering

AUSTIN:

Pakistan Ambassador to US Masood Khan and Texas Governor Greg Abbott discussed forging closer economic ties in a meeting at the Capitol office in Austin, stated a press release issued on Wednesday.

The close cooperation between the two will be in areas of petroleum, agriculture, livestock, green energy, climate, tech sector, genetic engineering and semi-conductors.

Ambassador Khan invited the governor to visit Pakistan to promote trade and investment, and enhance people-to-people exchange. The governor accepted the invitation in principle and said he would explore such a visit at an appropriate time.

“The 150,000 strong Pakistani diaspora community in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and St Antonio was an asset for Pakistan and the United States as it is building bridges between the two nations,” Khan said.

Paying tribute to the successes achieved by the state of Texas under the leadership of the two-term governor, Ambassador Khan said that Pakistan was ready to host Texan investments in semi-conductors, agriculture, healthcare and the tech sectors.

Read Ambassador Khan, President Biden discuss building ‘strong basis’ for moving ties forward

Masood Khan identified another area of linkage, between the agriculture universities of Texas and Pakistan for research on hybrid seeds to increase agricultural yields.

“Pakistan’s regulatory environment is hospitable for US companies to start businesses in diverse areas. We are keen to partner with enterprises in Texas,” the ambassador stated, adding that Pakistan had become safe and secure for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The existing Houston-Karachi Sister City Association connects corporate leaders of the two metropolises.

The ambassador briefed the governor about the extraordinary success in technology start-ups in Pakistan as Texas is fast becoming United States’ top most cyber-state.

Masood Khan said that Pakistan, a country of 220 million people with a growing middle class, was unleashing entrepreneurship and innovation through a business-friendly regulatory climate.

“Pakistan has the necessary manufacturing infrastructure and growing human capital,” he said.

The ambassador added that corporate leaders in businesses could engage to develop an agenda for economic collaboration before a high-level visit from Texas during which decisions could be made to launch joint ventures.