LONDON, Feb 12 (APP): Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem has said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was committed to eradicating corruption and ensuring rule of law for socio-economic prosperity and wellbeing of the people in the country.
He stated this while addressing as chief guest at a reception hosted by the Pakistan High Commission on Tuesday evening to celebrate the victor of fifteen elected members of the British Parliament of Pakistani origin in the recent United Kingdom (UK) general elections held in December 12,2019.
A large number of British Parliamentarians of Pakistani origin,Lords,diplomats, Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan ,Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Housing Anil Mussarat, British government officials,Pakistani diaspora of UK belonging to different walks of life, British Pakistani friends, members of Pakistan British Business Council (PBBC), representatives of UK based Pakistani (Ethnic) media and officials of Pakistan High Commission London attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Law Minister Farogh Naseem said that PTI government was making efforts to eradicate the menace of corruption from the society besides focusing on improving and strengthening the national economy which was inherited in bad shape to the present government from previous government.
He warmly congratulated fifteen newly and re-elected members of British Parliament of Pakistani origin.
Naseem said that a large number of British-Pakistanis in the United Kingdom excel in their respective fields.
“We hold our diaspora in high esteem and proud of them”, he remarked.
In his address , Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria welcomed the newly and re-elected members of the British Parliament of Pakistani origin and other participating guests.
The High Commissioner on behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan and Pakistani community in the UK felicitated the newly and re-elected members of the British Parliament for their brilliant victory in the UK general elections.
“Government and people of Pakistan take great pride in our diaspora across the globe particularly in the UK.A large number of them have excelled in various professions and fields”, he remarked.
Highlighting some good developments in Pakistan and in the context of Pakistan-UK relationship, he informed the gathering that significant developments had taken place in the region where Pakistan was situated.
Nafees Zakaria said that economic gravity of the world had been shifting to Asia in view of the immense potential, it held.
Pakistan, he said enjoyed unique position,geographically and geo-strategically,in that region.
He added that Pakistan’s economic indicators continued to rise.
He also informed them that World Bank, in its annual report 2020 had ranked Pakistan, among the “most improved economies” in ease of doing business in the world and elevated its position 28 places.
Nafees Zakaria further said that Moody’s investors service had declared Pakistan as a stable economy.
Similarly, he said that according to Bloomberg, Pakistan stock exchange outperformed Germany, Sweden, Russia, and Ireland stock markets by a considerable margin.
He added that JP Morgan had advised investors to buy Pakistan’s T-Bills being the most lucrative in terms of returns.
The Pakistan’s High Commissioner further informed them that Chinese investments with an outlay of US $ 62 Billion, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Malaysia, Qatar,Behrain, Germany, Japan and the Republic of Korea were investing in Pakistan.
He said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) TAPI, Gas pipeline project ,CASA 1000 power project and many regional and international ventures were clear signs of growth in Pakistan’s economy.
Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in Pakistan had increased by 200 percent during 2019, he remarked.
He said that numerous countries airlines including the British Airways were flying to Pakistan.
He added 150,000 Sikhs from all over the world celebrated Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary in November 2019, resumption of international cricket in Pakistan with Sri Lankan, MCC and Bangladesh teams playing matches there and other international games and competitions being held in Pakistan were all the manifestation of improved security and realization of the potential in Pakistan’s economic and tourism sectors.
Nafees Zakaria recalled that high profile visits of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in October last year and numerous other VVIP visits from Gulf states Central Asia, Europe, and America.
He said that the revised positive travel advisory by the United Kingdom, ranking of Pakistan as number one destination for tourism by Conde Nast Traveler and likewise British tourists arrival in Pakistan touching half a million mark during 2019 were an expression of international community’s confidence in Pakistan.
Highlighting Pakistan-UK relations , he said that Pakistan was not a new the destination for British businesses.
He said that more than 120 British enterprises were doing business successfully for decades and flourishing.
“Pakistan Special Economic Zones (SEZs),IT, sector, Tourism industry, and most economical access to others markets in the region, if Pakistan is used as a spring
board, hold huge economic prospects for our friends in Britain”, he remarked.
He expressed his confidence that with the support of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) , our diaspora and British friends of Pakistan our historical and robust bilateral relations would be further strengthened in substantive terms to our mutual advantage.
The High Commissioner on the occasion thanked all the British Parliamentarians, members of the diaspora, media, and members of the civil society for expressing their concerns at the grave human rights situation in Indian occupied Kashmir and solidarity with Kashmiris,who were under siege of around a million Indian occupation forces since August 5, 2019,in particular and for their sufferings for over seven decades.
The newly and re-elected members of British Parliament of Pakistani origin, on the occasion resolved to raise the voices of the defenseless Kashmiris of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the British Parliament and other forums till the realization of their legitimate right to self-determination promised to them by the UNSC.
The parliamentarians also reiterated to play their vital role for further strengthening the cordial bilateral relations between Pakistan and the UK.
They also thanked Pakistan High Commission London for hosting the event to celebrate their victory.
