KARACHI, Nov 13: The British High Commissioner, Mark Lyall Grant, has said that once the concerns expressed by the Commonwealth are addressed by Pakistan there will be no problem in reviving its membership.

He was responding to a question while speaking at the English Speaking Union event which was held on Thursday evening. The title of his speech was “Impressions on Return to Pakistan”.

Mr Grant alluded to the general impression that the parliament was not operating in a satisfactory manner and in this regard referred to a statement on the subject by Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

In response to a question, he said the Export Credit Guarantee Department — a part of Britain’s ministry of trade and industry — was likely to revise insurance rating for Pakistan in January after significant changes in the country.

Answering another question, Mr Grant said: “We realize some responsibility towards Kashmir, but solutions cannot be imposed from our side, rather, these should come from the two countries, upholding the wishes of the Kashmiri people.”

He said Pakistan needed to “de-hyphenate” itself from India politically and “re-hyphenate” itself economically. Lack of trade with India was damaging Pakistan. And SAARC was more important for Pakistan’s future development than the OIC, he said.

Asked about the Afghan and Iraqi wars and the British role in them, he claimed that his country moved into the two countries only to implement the United Nation’s resolutions. It was wrong to say that Iraq was destroyed by the coalition.

He pointed out that Britain was the number one investor in Pakistan and one of its top 5 trading partners. He also referred to the recent high-level visits by British officials and easing of the travel advisory.

Mr Grant said 150,000 visas to the United Kingdom were likely to be issued next year in which Islamabad would figure prominently. He rejected the perception that a clash of civilizations was underway and said individual experiences should not be interpreted as such.

He appreciated President Pervez Musharraf’s emphasis on “enlightened moderation” which he claimed was the best way for the Muslims to focus on development of their citizens.

Mr Grant also noted that despite being a nuclear power, Pakistan was 144th in the Human Development Index. A growing and successful economy was the best measure of success these days. He said Pakistan remained a sleeping giant and sustained structural reform was required to remove that tag.