Being a friend of Karachi and Pakistan, it pains me greatly to see the situation prevailing in the city and I hope that these problems would be overcome soon, said Dr Christian Brecht, the departing German consul general in Karachi.
He was speaking at his farewell reception. The consul general is leaving Karachi later this week after completion of his tenure.
He said that his three-year stay in Karachi has been very enjoyable and interesting. “Karachi plays a very important role in Pakistan’s economy and development,” he added.
Dr Brecht said that he would like to acknowledge and thank the vast array of friends that he made in Karachi and appreciated all that they had done for him during his tenure.
He said that Karachi is the lynchpin in the country’s trade and economy, and with this in mind, the Pakistan German Business Council has opened a new office to facilitate two-way inter-action.
On the occasion, German Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Michael Koch said that he and Dr Brecht were posted in Pakistan at almost the same time and arrived in the country within a week of each other.
”The departing German consul general is a particularly effective in networking and possesses a unique ability to get people to work together in different sectors” he said.
“Dr Brecht has shown what can be achieved by determination, perseverance and cooperation. It is sad to see Dr Brecht leave before me and I wish him well in his future endeavours,” he added.
Dr Koch said that Pakistan is a vast and diverse country, and Karachi is its most important city possessing dynamics different to the rest of the country.
“But foreigners, particularly Europeans who don’t know much about Pakistan have different perceptions that are not wholly in consonance with reality,” he added.
Dr Koch also said that Germany is totally committed to promoting trade and cooperation with Pakistan that can only be done efficiently through a consulate in Karachi.
