- British envoy says they can assist Pakistan in building secure and stable future
British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, John Anthony Tucknott, on Wednesday said that many British companies are willing to do business in Pakistan and want to undertake joint ventures with Pakistani counterparts despite various challenges; the most serious is the security situation in the country.
Speaking at a meeting with members of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here at the chamber, the British envoy underlined the need to effectively deal with these security threats.
He assured full cooperation and support of the British government in restoring peace and security in Pakistan which is the only way forward for the progress and prosperity of the country.
“We can assist Pakistan in building a secure and stable future,” he added.
Former KCCI president Siraj Kassam Teli, Vice Chairman BMG Anjum Nisar, President KCCI Aamir Abdullah Zaki, Senior Vice President KCCI Muffasar Atta Malik, Vice President KCCI Muhammad Idrees, Chairman of KCCI Diplomatic Affairs Sub-Committee Abdul Jabbar, former presidents KCCI, AQ Khalil and Majyd Aziz were also present.
Tucknott said that the United Kingdom was striving and looking for ways and means for achieving the target of dollars three billion bilateral trade by the year 2015. This is not an easy task keeping in view the slow pace of growth.
“For achieving the target of $ 3 billion, we must make sure that bilateral trade between the two countries grows by 33 percent every year,” he added.
Referring to British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Pakistan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to the United Kingdom, he said that these visits have certainly paved way for further strengthening trade relations between the two countries. However, lot more needs to be done.
In this regard, he identified energy, infrastructure, mining and security sectors as key areas for undertaking joint ventures which will go in favour of both economies as bilateral trade is a two-way.
Tucknott informed that a UK based company will undertake a project relating to setting up a desalination plant in the next few months which will be capable of providing 100 million gallons of sweet water per day.
He said that another project for power generation from solid waste will also be initiated in Karachi which will not only help in fulfilling the energy requirements but will also lead to useful disposal of a large quantity of garbage. These projects will provide employment to 4,000 workers during the construction phase.
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