Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan wants strong, meaningful and result-oriented economic relations with Britain.
Sharif said that besides vast opportunities for economic cooperation in the energy sector, British investors would also benefit from investment opportunities in the textile, livestock and dairy farming sectors.
He expressed these views during a special meeting with Britain’s Minister for International Development Justine Greening and members of her delegation. The meeting was also attended by Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, British High Commissioner Adam Thompson, Begum Zakia Shahanawaz, Col (r) Shuja Khanzada, Hamida Waheed ud Din, Malik Pervez, Marvi Memon, provincial ministers, assembly members, officials of international monetary Institutions, representatives from the Department for International Development, industrialists, investors, bankers and office bearers of the Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad Chambers of Commerce.
Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that inefficiency and irregularity in the previous government ruined the country’s economy, but due to the efforts of the present government the national economy would soon be back on the road to progress. He said that running factories was not the government’s job, which was rather to evolve policies that could ensure economic development. Sharif said that the provision of equal opportunities to the youth and women in economic development and the creation of one million new job opportunities every year through public-private partnership is included in the economic development vision of Punjab. He said that the government is committed to providing an exemplary and conducive atmosphere to the investors in Punjab, and complete protection and facilities would be provided to the foreign investors.
Greening said that the UK highly values economic cooperation with Pakistan and will continue all possible efforts in this regard. She said that overcoming the energy crisis, infrastructure development and foreign investment is of the utmost importance for achieving the vision of economic development.
Pakistan wants strong economic relations with Britain: Shahbaz
