June 16, 2003	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 15: Britain has pledged more assistance in social sector development, including poverty alleviation. British assistance to Pakistan for development projects now amounts to $100 million.

This was stated by Mark Lyall-Grant, the new UK high commissioner to Pakistan, while briefing mediapersons at his residence here on Saturday about the agenda of talks between President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Tony Blair during the former’s upcoming visit to the United Kingdom. Part of this briefing appeared in Sunday’s Dawn.

He said Britain had a long-term engagement with Pakistan through various projects in social sector. The assistance provided in social sector aimed at reducing poverty, providing better health, education and economic management. This, he said, would be increased in the next two years.

He said the British government was looking to increase the number of scholarships available to Pakistanis to study in the UK, noting that the British Council was already expanding its operations in Pakistan.

Answering a question about regional peace, the high commissioner said Britain had welcomed the recent peace moves initiated by Pakistan and India, and hoped the two South Asian nuclear rivals would maintain the momentum of peace process they initiated in April.

“Prime Minister Blair, I am sure, would want to discuss with President Musharraf how he sees that process developing and how he sees the next steps going forward on that dialogue,” he added.

“We welcome the commitment shown by leaders of Pakistan and India to improve their relations and begin substantive dialogue on all issues including Kashmir.”

When asked if Britain would be willing to play a role in helping them solve their issues, he said: “We stand ready to help,” if requested by the two countries as it was for the two countries to resolve their problems.

He observed that he had been impressed by President Musharraf’s commitment that he would tackle the cross-border infiltration, which was a very important aspect of the overall peace process.

Responding to a question on the Kashmir issue, Mr Grant said: “Clearly the conflict will never be resolved unless there is an agreement between the two countries and obviously the involvement of the Kashmiri people.”

President Musharraf is due to leave here on June 16 for the UK on the first leg of his four-nation tour which will also take him to the US, France and Germany.

He will meet Prime Minister Blair on June 17. This will be the first official visit of the president to Britain.

Mr Grant also said UK’s chief of the defence staff, who was scheduled to meet President Musharraf on June 17, would be flying to Pakistan the next day for talks on defence cooperation between the two countries.

During his UK visit, President Musharraf would also meet foreign secretary, new development secretary, MPs of the foreign affairs committee, leaders of the opposition, All-Parties Pakistan Committee.

The president will also hold meetings with Asia House and Pakistan-Britain Investment Forum and visit the War College of Defence Studies which he attended in 1990.

He is also scheduled to attend a cultural show Rytham of Indus at Albert Hall.

The judicial cooperation between the two countries is also included in the agenda for talks. The high commissioner said the two countries would also hold discussion on the immigration issue and money laundering in London on July 21-22 at the judicial level.

He praised Pakistan’s key role in the war on terror, and in this respect referred to the arrest of some high-profile Al Qaeda activists from the country.

He said Pakistan was a vital ally in the war on Al Qaeda and global terrorism as well as the fight against drugs.

The high commissioner said 80 per cent of the heroin that arrived in Britain came from Afghanistan and, of that, about a third transited through Pakistan.

He said British investors had a number of concerns, and security was one of them, adding that the issue would be discussed when President Musharraf met the investors.

Mr Grant said there was a vast scope of improvement in trade ties between the two countries and UK was the largest single foreign investor in Pakistan.

He said Pakistan exports to UK stood at $600 million while its import from the country was about $250 million.