Pakistan during July-December 2012 has attracted a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of US $ 562.8 million as against US $ 531.1 million received during the corresponding period last year. “The 6 percent increase in the FDI inflows during the first six months is a manifestation of investor confidence on the prudent economic and investment friendly policies of the present democratic government and would further improve in the days to come,” said Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs Saleem H Mandviwalla who is also the Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman, on Thursday. “An improvement in the foreign direct inflows is mainly driven by the investment in the oil and gas exploration and financial sectors by global companies in the country,” he said.