Staff Reporter
Lahore
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi Sunday reaffirmed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government commitment to fully encourage foreign investment in Pakistan and provide all out assistance to investors especially those interested to pump money in Special Economic Zones under CPEC.
He expressed these views during a meeting with Chairman Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) Mian Kashif Ashfaq who called on him here.
The minister has said there are vast investment opportunities in Pakistan in the fields of energy, agriculture, health, education and construction for foreign investors.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the government is planning to envisage a comprehensive strategy in wake of coronavirus pandemic especially in context of post corona era and will initiate economic diplomacy through activating all embassies to apprise foreign investors on lucrative business opportunities in Pakistan.
He said first phase of CPEC focused on infrastructure development and energy generation while in second phase industrial cooperation and socio economic development are our highest priorities. He said the government has set up special economic zones especially prioritized ones and Allama Iqbal Industrial City under CPEC of FIEDMC will also help meet these objectives.
He also appreciated Mian Kashif Ashfaq for accelerating the pace of development projects in Allama Iqbal Industrial City and asked him to seek mutual cooperation from investors of this whole region, especially the landlocked Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, to benefit from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
“CPEC is a game-changer for the entire region and there is no restriction on any country, including the USA, to invest in the special economic zones, being established under CPEC,” added Qureshi. Chief Operating Officer FIEDMC Muhammad Aamir Saleemi and other senior officers besides experts were also present on the occasion.
Chairman FIEDMC Mian Kashif Ashfaq apprising Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi of Allama Iqbal Industrial City said this sole project would house as many as 400 industries besides giving employments to 2,500,00 people.
He said approximately Rs450 billion foreign and local investments would be pumped into this project and development project is being carried out on fast track.
