MANCHESTER: The Consulate General of Pakistan in Manchester together with Pakistan Britain Business Council (PBBC), with the support of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce hosted a Conference titled ‘Pakistan; A Land of Opportunities’ in Manchester on 27 January 2022.
The event was attended among others by High Commissioner of Pakistan to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan; Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Pakistan, Rt. Hon. Mark Eastwood; Chairman PBBC Julian Hamilton Barns; Senior Advisor Campbell Kier; noted British Pakistani entrepreneur Aneel Musarrat as well as officials and office bearers of the Business Council, the High Commission and the Consulate General.
Addressing the Conference, the High Commissioner highlighted the reforms being undertaken by Pakistan to facilitate a business-friendly environment. He said that the United Kingdom was Pakistan’s strategic partner. This partnership was deepening through growing linkages in diverse fields.
UK, being the 3rd largest export market for Pakistani products, accounted for approximately 8% of Pakistan’s global exports. The High Commissioner noted that in 2021, despite the pandemic, Pakistan’s exports to UK increased by 33%, thus crossing the milestone of US$ 2 billion for the first time. He said, Pakistan’s GDP, despite the pandemic, grew by 5.37% in 2020-21, which was second highest growth in 14 years.
Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Pakistan, MP Mark Eastwood, showed strong desire to improve existing trade and investment relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. He shared that he would be visiting Pakistan soon along with a business delegation to explore further opportunities to enhance bilateral trade. He further said that he was a supporter of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and the United Kingdom and wanted to see strides taken in this direction.
Julian Hamilton Barns, Chairman PBBC made a presentation highlighting the business opportunities in Pakistan. A large number of businesspeople as well as community notables participated in the event.