ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday said Pakistan welcomed foreign investment, and the government was providing level-playing field to all without any distinction.

Talking to Bryan Sanderson, chairman Standard Chartered Bank, who called on him at the Prime Minister Secretariat, the premier said that the economic reforms undertaken by the government during the last six years had not only created an environment conducive to investment but had also succeeded in achieving growth rates from six to eight per cent.

Pakistan, he said, was a country of 150 million people with growing economy and expanding middle class, and that this growth was broad-based covering all sectors including both rural and urban areas.

Mr Sanderson said that Pakistan had done well and if the economy continued to grow at the same pace it would rank itself among one of the few successful economies.

Adviser to the prime minister on finance Dr Salman Shah, the State Bank Governor Dr Ishrat Husain and Secretary Finance Nawaid Ahsan were also present during the meeting.

Meanwhile, the prime minister was given a presentation by the BoI on bilateral investment agreement at the prime minister secretariat on Thursday. The premier directed the Board of Investment (BoI) to redouble its efforts to attract foreign investment in the areas of engineering, real estate, telecommunication, information technology and agri-business.

The prime minister said that during the last fiscal year Pakistan attracted $1.5 billion foreign direct investment and for the current fiscal the government had set a target of $3 billion.

The meeting was attended by Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan, Privatization and Investment Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, State Minister for Privatization and Investment Umar Ahmad Ghuman, Attorney General of Pakistan Barrister Makhdoom Ali Khan and other senior officials. PM directs Board of Investment to redouble its efforts to attract foreign investment

APP adds: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz directed the Board of Investment to redouble its efforts to attract foreign investment in the fields of engineering, real estate, telecommunication, information technology and agro-business industry.

The Prime Minister while reviewing bilateral investment agreements said Foreign

Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan was 1.5 billion dollars during last year and directed the BOI to achieve the target of

$3 billion fixed for the current year.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan, Minister for Privatization and Investment Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Minister of State for Privatization and Investment Umar Ahmad Ghuman, Attorney General of Pakistan Barrister Makhdoom Ali Khan and senior officials.