Salahuddin Haider
Karachi
The new British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi Mike Nithavrianakis who is also the Country Director for International Trade has said that bilateral trade between UK and Pakistan stood at 3.8 billion dollars, of which Pakistan’s share was less than half, but he was working and hoping to succeed in his plans to enhanced and stronger trade and investment ties between UK and Pakistan.
Speaking at a weekly Rotary Club meeting, he said he was keen to present the correct picture of about security and safety perceptions in Pakistan among UK business house to that greater number of British companies start looking at Pakistan. Already 123 British companies were operating Pakistan since long.
They included Uniliver, Standard Chartered Bank the likes. But there was dire need for Pakistani business groups to visit England and look for opportunities to earn money, Visa facilitations were there, figures of last year visas issued for England standing at 80,000. Plans are on way to allow students to work and stay in United Kingdom after studies. Aleady 1.3 million Pakistanis are living and contributing to British economy there, which was a happy feeling. Former President of the Rotary Karachi Club Shahzad was present, announcing charitable activities Rotary has been involved in Pakistan sine its long. Among business elite were Kali Farooqui, and Aziz Memon, plus lot more.
He said as director of UK trade and Investment in Pakistan, his duties included looking after promotion of bilateral economic ties, as already tremendous goodwill exists between the people of the two countries. He said in Punjab and Sindh, several projects, in education sector especially, were already on. The need was to set up vocational institutions to produce larger number of skilled workers who could be mutually beneficial for the two countries. As a goodwill gesture which is bound to have positive impact on ties, will be the royal visit to Pakistan from 14 to 18 October.
New subjects, especially between younger leadership will develop. Mike Nithavrianakis described IMF and Pakistan programme as positive for stability, and expected it to succeed. The diplomat who hails from Scotland, a lovely place in Britain, has been familiar with situation in Ghana, Saudi Arabia, India, Kerala and Chennai, Malaysia and Kabul etc, knew the regional very well. He is tall and lanky, speaks beautifully and is impressive personality. Citing the example of Khadi, a Pakistani garment house with 8 outlets in UK, he said, innumerable opportunities for Pakistani investors in his country. In Karachi, UK companies must have look for good partners to achieve the goal of greater and strengthened bondage in economic fields.
