ISLAMABAD: UK’s Department for International Development Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft visited Pakistan to see first-hand how DFID programmes were changing lives.
During his visit to DFID’s largest overseas programme, Rycroft met with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail, Dr Aisha Ghouls Pasha, Punjab’s finance Minister and other senior provincial ministers.
He visited Lahore where he went to a government school for girls and met teachers and students. He visited an Aawaz Agaahi Centre (AAC) where he met beneficiaries from minority groups. He was pleased to hear from women, religious minorities, members of the transgender community and people with disabilities at the centre.
He visited the Business Incubation Centre at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), where he spoke to women entrepreneurs on starting a business in Pakistan. Speaking at the event, he said, “The UK and Pakistan have been long-standing partners for 70 years. We are committed to eradicating poverty and achieving prosperity for the country and its people. I am pleased to be here to see how UK aid is working and the real-life impact of our programmes. We will continue to build stability in Pakistan by investing in start-ups to promote the culture of entrepreneurship in this country. Pakistan is on the path to development and I am confident that it will reach its true potential in the coming years.”
Pakistan is among the UK’s top development priorities and DFID is working in Pakistan towards the goal of reducing poverty and accelerating economic growth.
