Govt taking measures to provide investment opportunities for overseas Pakistanis, says minister

Dawn.com Published October 29, 2018

Minister of State Shehryar Afridi calls for increasing bilateral economic, security and cultural cooperation with Qatar. —File

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi on Monday said the government was taking measures to facilitate and encourage overseas Pakistanis to invest in the country, Radio Pakistan reported.

Afridi said this while talking to overseas Pakistanis at the Pakistan Embassy in Doha, Qatar, during his two-day visit to the Gulf state.

The overseas Pakistanis have a key role to play in the country's economy, and soon the expats will be given a favourable investment climate in their own country, he said.

Afridi attended the inauguration ceremony of the 12th edition of International Exhibition Milipol Qatar 2018. The exhibition is an annual event held in Doha that focuses on Homeland Security and Civil Defence and is currently being held from October 29 to 31 at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The minister along with Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister of the State of Qatar who is also the Minister of Interior took a tour of the exhibition and visited different exhibitors from around the world.

During his interaction with the Qatari dignitaries, the minister emphasised on the need to increase bilateral economic, security and cultural cooperation with Qatar.

On the Kashmir issue, Afridi said Pakistan will never compromise on its principled stand on the matter and will continue to support Kashmiris on every forum.

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Mansur Ul Haque

Oct 29, 2018 08:55pm

Your words are not enough sir. What steps you are taking to give positive climate to oversee Pakistani? What is the road map for providing favorable climate to oversee investors?What measures you have taken to provide security to over see investors to provide them protection from Bhata Mafia? What guarantee oversee investors have to protect their investment and they will be allowed to take out profit/ investment from this country? How we will safeguard foreign investors from the clutches of Income/ sales tax regimes? We badly need FDI but unfortunately our preparation in this regard is nill. If we have any thing positive for foreign investors than we must show case our measures to foreign investors rather than uttering mere words.

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BHANGI CHAMAR

Oct 29, 2018 09:04pm

Why not invite Sultan Quaboos of Oman for investment. Oman Government going against Guwader development and against Pakistan. Make strong friendship with the closest country to Pakistan by sea.

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M. Saeed

Oct 29, 2018 09:11pm

How the Minister of State for Interior is talking on financial matters?

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Philosopher (From Japan)

Oct 29, 2018 09:15pm

I heard no govt officer / officials will visit abroad for next three months and so. Was that incorrect??? By the way last time SBP increased the interest rates that has inverse relationship with investment according to economic theory. Higher interest rates make borrowing costlier that discourage investment and ultimately pushed down economic growth.

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Saint Mercury

Oct 29, 2018 09:27pm

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi should be fired for wasting taxpayer's money and doing a lousy job of making a point for investment.

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Numan

Oct 29, 2018 09:31pm

What opportunities?. Is this a joke. A overseas pakistani went to his bank in Pakistan to reactivate his account. Instead of asking for his Pakistani ID the bank manager said that he have to provide a copy of his passport and a copy of his foreign ID etc. What a headache for them. He is probably not going to invest or interested in doing business over here anymore. He was expecting some money to be transferred in the bank and now he will try other ways. They have make it very difficult for everyone over here and for the overseas Pakistani as well.

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Champu

Oct 29, 2018 09:52pm

The Overseas Pakistanis from Middle East will only invest to build a house and no more. This will not create job opportunities in Pakistan. IK should appoint some educated persons for such positions, who understand how to make such moves. This can not be done by Afridi or Zulfi.

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Jjacky

Oct 29, 2018 10:49pm

@Numan if he is overseas pakistani, than he has to provide his passport copy with valid visa of that country to his bank. Thrre's nothing wrong on it.

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Bill

Oct 30, 2018 12:05am

It is so much easier and less risky to have a business outside Pakistan unless one wants to put his relatives to work.

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Sid

Oct 30, 2018 12:26am

Can you please sort out the staff at airports and stop them hounding overseas Pakistanis for money

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Ahsan Gul

Oct 30, 2018 01:17am

Take some concrete steps and not just words in conferences. Follow up, publish it and let foreign Pakistanis embassies make known to their respective citizens.

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KHK

Oct 30, 2018 03:19am

@Ahsan Gul I don't trust politicians, will not invest a penny.

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spearmint

Oct 30, 2018 04:26am

@ Not only this Minister, even CJP and COAS are talking about money and economy.

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asim riaz

Oct 30, 2018 04:40am

is this guy has some thing serious to do except self projection. I saw his you tube videos stopping people on Islamabad roads at night. Now he is in Doha on ta payers money for so called investment initiative. Does investment comes like this way?

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Faraz Chaudhry

Oct 30, 2018 06:54am

Overseas Pakistanis can play a pivotal role in the growth of the national economy if provided security, proper just support mechanism from the government and one window business hierarchy.

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