KARACHI: The trade envoy of United Kingdom’s (UK) prime minister to Pakistan Rehman Chishti visited Karachi and Lahore this week to promote trade between the two countries during meetings with government representatives and businesses in Pakistan.
According to a press release from the British High Commission, Chishti met with the Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in Karachi to discuss how UK can assist in creating opportunities for UK to invest in Pakistan.
He also met Commerce Minister Muhammad Pervaiz Malik to reiterate UK’s commitment to providing a preferential market access to Pakistan after UK leaves the European Union (EU) in 2019.
The envoy attended the launch of “Emerging Pakistan” hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and attended by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
He also attended the Rising Pakistan Exposition and met with schoolchildren at an event organised for the British publisher Ladybird at the Deputy High Commission.
In Lahore, the UK prime minister’s trade envoy had met with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and talked about the role which UK expertise in engineering, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and professional services can play in providing solutions to the region’s economic problems.
Chishti later visited Lahore Chamber of Commerce and met with business leaders. He also visited the Safe Cities Authority in Lahore, which the UK supports, to witness the improvements being made to safeguarding security in Lahore.
Speaking about his visit, Rehman Chishti said, “Pakistan is a great place to do business. It offers great opportunities in a variety of sectors and both countries’ governments are ambitious to see more British trade and investment in Pakistan, as well as Pakistani businesses exporting to and operating in the UK. We are committed to working with businesses in both countries to strengthen these ties for the future”
Born in Pakistan, Rehman Chishti was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Gillingham and Rainham in the 2010 general election. He was appointed as trade envoy to Pakistan in September this year.