In an apparent bid to formulate investment policy for Pakistanis, who left the country during partition, a parliamentary panel on Friday decided to engage people from all provinces to establish contacts with those Pakistanis and to convince them to invest in the country.
The Senate Sub-committee on Commerce that met with Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja in the parliament house said different countries in the world engaged their citizens and brought them back to the country to increase investment and to boost economic activities. Therefore they said focus should be shifted on those Pakistanis who left the country during partition of the subcontinent and established their businesses abroad. Chairman of the committee, Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja said we have the example of China before us which called back its citizens who had established their businesses abroad and at the request of their government they establish businesses in their homeland. Through this mechanism, the Chinese government provided strong support to their economy and today they are an economic power, he said.
If we further delayed initiating this process then the gap between our generations will further expand, Khawaja commented.
Sentor Saifullah Khan Bangash said a large number of people were doing businesses in different countries of the world and these people wanted to come to their homeland and invest. It is the responsibility of the government to approach them and give incentives, he added.
During the meeting, Federal Secretary Commerce Munir A Qureshi informed the legislative body that the ministry is in continuous contacts with commercial councilors and is working to search all such people who left the country during partition. He said although it will take time, “we are optimistic about it”.
