Interior minister says Pakistan welcomes foreign investment in meeting with UK peer

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday said the government would welcome foreign investment and ensure all possible facilitation for investors during a meeting with British House of Lords member Lord Zamir Choudrey, state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported.

During the meeting, Naqvi said Pakistan offered vast opportunities for investment and that the country would welcome investors, and added that every possible facility would be provided to investors.

He said Pakistan's joint efforts for lasting peace in the region were continuing. "God willing, our efforts will yield positive results this time as well," Naqvi said.

Choudrey praised Pakistan's efforts to promote peace in the region. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, had made commendable efforts for regional stability.

He further said the government's positive policies were creating greater opportunities for investment in Pakistan.

Read: Naqvi, Chinese minister pledge closer counterterrorism cooperation

Earlier in July, Naqvi and China's Minister of State for Public Security and head of the Special Service Bureau, Ling Zhifeng, reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening counterterrorism cooperation and deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries during a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The two ministers agreed to expand cooperation on internal security, emphasising the need for closer collaboration on border management, illegal immigration, and anti-narcotics efforts.

CPEC body to buy bullet-proof car

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) secretariat has decided to buy a bullet-proof vehicle at a cost of Rs95 million to provide security to Chinese nationals, as it said the Cabinet Division could not meet its pressing needs, resulting in the cancellation of important official engagements.

The new Toyota Land Cruiser 3,500cc vehicle will be in addition to a pool of such vehicles and at least two helicopters that various government departments have either bought or are in the process of buying for the protection of Chinese nationals who are vulnerable to attacks. Due to high risks, Chinese nationals are not allowed to travel in non-bulletproof vehicles.

The bulletproof vehicle is being bought only for the security of Chinese nationals, whose protection is the primary responsibility of the government of Pakistan, said Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.