F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting president Ijaz Khan Afridi said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a lucrative destination for foreign direct investment wherein ample opportunities exist to make investment in tourism, mining, oil and gas and other potential sectors.
However, he emphasized it is essential that the government and relevant authorities should take proactive steps to pave the way for attracting foreign investment in those afore-mentioned sectors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by removing all hurdles so that it will help stabilize the national economy and put the country on sustainable growth and progress.
Ijaz Khan Afridi was talking to a delegation of Overseas Business Forum United Kingdom (UK) led by its chairman Muhammad Farooq Khan during a meeting held here at the chamber’s house on Saturday.
Other members of the Overseas Business Forum UK include Salman Dossa, Muhammad Fayyaz Khan, Naeemullah, Wamiq, Amjad Ali and Nauman Ali and others. The chamber’s secretary general Sajjad Aziz and other relevant officials were present during the meeting.
Chairman of the Overseas Business Forum U.K, Muhammad Farooq in his opening remarks briefed the meeting about main objectives of the forum. He, on the occasion, invited the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Businessmen for the forum upcoming event/foreign investment, which is scheduled to be held in London, UK.
Earlier, during the meeting both sides discussed matters of common interests, promotion of foreign direct investment in KP along with launching joint ventures and programmes and taking benefits business community experiences for mutual benefits.
Muhammad Farooq pointed out key reasons in declining Pakistan’s exports and bilateral trade to the United Kingdom and the rest of European countries and gave a number of proposals to remove all those trade barriers.
The OBF UK chief called upon the KP businessmen to come forward and play a role in attracting foreign direct investment in tourism and other potential sectors to stabilize Pakistan’s crippling economy and put it on sustainable growth and progress.
He, on the occasion, suggested the formation of an overseas commission in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the pattern of Punjab and urged the SCCI to play a role in this regard.
Later, the SCCI chief responding to various queries and demands from members of OBF UK asked the forum to play its proactive role in attracting foreign direct investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the chamber will provide every assistance to the forum in this regard.
Ijaz Afridi said the overseas Pakistan business community can play a vital role in the promotion of bilateral trade between the two countries.
He, on occasion, lamented that government policies and commercial banks’ unsupportive behavior had added to miseries of the business community, resultantly the country’s exports and bilateral trade dropping exponentially.
He said there was no clear policy of promoting trade and investment in the country.
During the meeting, both sides have also agreed to strengthen linkages between the business community of Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) through launching joint ventures and programs.
