SIALKOT – Australian High Commissioner in Pakistan Tim George has said that there is a vast scope of agriculture business in Pakistan, besides assuring his full cooperation and technical assistance to develop agriculture education.
He said this while addressing a meeting at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).
He stressed the need to taker some effective and positive steps for boosting mutual trade ties between Pakistan and Australia, inviting the Pakistan business community to divert their business activities to Australia, besides participating in all the industrial exhibitions and trade fairs being held soon in Australia.
He said Australia would improve Pakistan’s agriculture and irrigation system, saying it was helping in the capacity building of Pakistan armed forces. He further said Australia had donated US $ 75 million for the help of Pakistan’s devastating flood victims and added that it would arrange 100 more scholarships in agriculture education to Pakistanis as there was a big scope of joint venture between Australia and Pakistan regarding agriculture business.
Tim George, flanked with SCCI officials, visited several industrial units in Sialkot, amid tight security. He witnessed the international standard craftsmanship of Sialkot-based artisans and said Sialkot exporters had a great potential to explore and capture the international trade markets of Australia by exporting their world class traditional and non-traditional export products.
ENVOY PROMISES HELP for TORNADO VICTIMS: Australian High Commissioner (HC) in Pakistan Tim George has expressed concerns over the March 19 tornado devastation in which six people were killed and more than 45 were injured in six Head Marala villages near Sialkot.
A delegation of an NGO, Community Development Concern (CDC) Sialkot, called on the visiting HC while CDC Managing Director Abdul Shakur Mirza, Yasir Mirza and Arif Mehmood Sheikh gave a detailed briefing to the Australian envoy on this tragedy. The delegation handed over an assessment report to the HC and sought financial and technical assistance and help for the ailing humanity there. The Australian HC assured full cooperation in the early relief and rehabilitation activities in Tornado-hit six villages.
PR PENSIONERS STAGE DEMO: Hundreds of pensioners of Pakistan Railways (PR) took out a peaceful rally on Sialkot Railway Road in protest against the nonpayment of their pension for the last four consecutive months. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands and chanting anti-government slogans. They also marched on city roads, staged a sit-in in front of Sialkot Railway Station and demanded immediate release of their four months’ pension.
They also announced to go on hunger strike if their pension was not released by the federal government within a week, saying they had been starving due to non-payment of their pensions for the last four consecutive months. When contacted, the Sialkot-based senior officials of PR said the PR had no funds for issuing their pension.
