LAHORE: President Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday said Pakistan was going to become an important country in the region in the next five years, and this status would benefit all its neighbours too.

He was speaking at the concluding session of the South Asia Labour Conference organised by the Punjab government. Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majid and Punjab Labour Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar were also present.

The president thanked the European Union for according GSP (Generalised System of Preferences) Plus status to Pakistan. But, he said some elements were creating problems for Pakistan with regard to labour laws and some other issues.

“While attending foreign meetings, our countrymen must make it clear to the world that Pakistan is going to become an important country in the next five years. They must also explain that law and order and issues like polio vaccination were not created by us,” he said.

He said Pakistan made mistakes in the past when the governance was not good and corruption created problems. But, now the county’s journey towards a strong democracy had begun which would benefit the entire region, he added.

The president said a big change was on the cards in the near future because of the Kashgar-Gwadar and Gwadar-Karachi economic corridor. “This would be a great project of the century, also benefiting all regional countries,” he said.

He said labour force in Pakistan must also be prepared for taking benefit of the forthcoming change. “Around 50pc of our population comprises youth who can be used for national development after modern education,” he said.

Earlier, he urged the regional countries to make concerted efforts to overcome their mutual differences. They shared norms and problems like regional confrontations, extremism, and poverty. “But it is our firm belief that resolution of such issues is possible if these countries join hands,” he said.

He termed the first-ever South Asia Labour Conference as a welcome step that would help the regional countries mutually share their experiences and seek resolution of their problems.

He said it was heartening to note that the conference participants expressed their resolve to cooperate with each other. He hoped some other regional country would hold the conference next year.

The president said the Pakistan government was determined to resolve the problems of the working class and to bring about prosperity in the country. The new labour policy being announced by the Punjab government on the May 1 (Labour Day) would greatly benefit the working class, he said.

Earlier, the provincial minister explained the aims and objectives of the conference.

The president also distributed souvenirs among the participating ministers and foreign delegates.