Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that Pakistan’s security situation has normalised and armed groups have been dismantled completely.
Speaking at the 63rd annual dinner of The Pakistan Society in the capital Islamabad at the Lincoln’s Inn, the interior minister invited overseas Pakistanis to visit their motherland and witness for themselves that the security situation has undergone a great change and violent attacks are rare now.
British Business Secretary Sajid Javid, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Syed Ibn-e-Abbas, former PM Shaukat Aziz, business tycoon Zameer Chaudhry, diplomats and leading members of the Pakistanis and English society attended the event.
Nisar told the audience when the PML-N government came into power in 2013, Pakistan was in a state of chaos as the previous government didn’t do anything to arrest the law and order situation.
Nisar invited the audience to visit Pakistan and witness the change for themselves. He said that the CPEC project was aimed at changing destiny of the region and British companies could play a role in this by investing. He said that Pakistan’s relations with the UK were cordial but there was a lot of space to cover.
Sajid Javid said, “As the proudly British son of Pakistani parents I’m a very real example of the close bond between our two nations.”
He said that Prime Minister David Cameron’s government wanted to make links between UK and Pakistan stronger and deeper.
“Over the past year or so a lot has been written and said about our partnership with India, how London and Delhi can work together like never before. But that doesn’t mean turning our backs on Pakistan.
“I don’t believe in some kind of see-saw diplomacy, where we can only work and trade with one of the South Asian giants at a time. Pakistan is important to me. Pakistan is important to the British government.
“And Pakistan is important to British business. More than 120 British companies have established operations in the country, with offices stretching from Islamabad to Karachi.”
He said that the UK’s international development budget for Pakistan was the largest of all UK’s bilateral aid programmes. “It was £324mn last year - up from the £205mn when David Cameron became Prime Minister. But UK-Pakistan relations aren’t just a one-way street.
Trade between our nations is strong and growing. It was up six per cent last year for goods alone. Pakistan is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of medical and surgical instruments.
Gul Ahmed and the Nishat Group have been trading here for many years. They’ve recently been joined by Khaadi, Mehran Enterprises and Terry Tex International.”
He said that Pakistani businesses had incredible potential but problems with red tape, corruption, energy and law and order were holding them back. “It’s not good for business, it’s not good for Pakistan, and it’s not good for Britain either.”
The Pakistan Society’s Emraan T Hussain said that it’s the aim of his organisation to work on improving relations between the UK and Pakistan. He said that Pakistan and the UK had a shared history and a shared future.
At the end, Sir William Blackburne, Chairman of the Pakistan Society thanked all the guests and those involved in organising the dinner. The Pakistan Society was founded in 1951.
The Patrons of the Society are Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and President of Pakistan. Based in London, the Pakistan Society endeavours to increase public knowledge in Britain of the arts, history, antiquities and geography of Pakistan, as well as its economic life and political institutions through regular lectures, meetings and social events.