SAHIWAL: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday between the business people of Rochdale (UK) and Sahiwal for exploring business partnership and exchanging entrepreneurship. Sahiwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rashid Hameed and Rochdale Mayor Muhammad Zaman signed the accord. An 11-member UK delegation visited Sahiwal to develop future plans for the cities’ partnership.

The delegation includes Tony Lloyd, member of British Parliament, Allen Brett, leader of the Rochdale Borough Council, Asim Rasheed, councillor of Rochdale city, and Sultan Ali, former Rochdale mayor and now chairman of the Sahiwal Working Committee.

Mr Lloyd told Dawn it was a matter of pleasure for them the Sahiwal city had been twinned with the city of Rochdale in 1998. He said eight per cent of their town population was of Asian origin and most of them were from Sahiwal.

Mr Zaman said there is a direction sign in Rochdale Town centre pointing direction towards Sahiwal with “Sahiwal 3,960 miles”.

Mr Lloyd said Pakistan had a specific role to play because of its strategic position in South Asia. He said a growing consumer’s economy and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would attract investment from many countries to Pakistan. He said both Pakistani expatriates and the UK investors should harvest the investment friendly policies by enhancing investment and joint ventures in Pakistan.

Mr Zaman said he wished to interact with business people in the UK from the platform of ‘Friends of Rochdale’ in Sahiwal and ‘Friends of Sahiwal’ in Rochdale.

He said both cities had working groups that were sharing a mutual draft and we would work together. Under the MoU, business people of both twinned cities are working for developing future prospectus with their counterparts both in Rochdale and Sahiwal cities.

Committees are drafting a working paper for upcoming trade and cultural exchange areas.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2018