ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Australia Chaudhry Zahid Aziz has called upon the business community to harness opportunities for increasing trade between Pakistan and Australia.

“There are unexplored opportunities between the two countries in agri-business, mining, energy and education sectors while significant trade was being conducted through third countries which can be streamlined to develop direct links,” the envoy added.

Talking to a delegation of business community here, he said many Pakistani businesses were active in Australia while their Australian counterparts were also doing business in Pakistan but the bilateral trade was not according to the available potentials.

He said bilateral trade can be increased through various initiatives including development of a database and promotion of linkage platforms that would share market information between the business communities of the two countries.

Envoy says there are unexplored opportunities for trade between two countries

“We need to adopt modern ways to increase business activities mainly with the usage of social media and IT platforms,’ Mr Aziz added.

The delegation was led by Mohammad Ahmed, president of the Pakistan chapter of US-Pakistan International Chamber of Commerce, and Malik Sohail Hussain, the secretary general of the chamber.

The high commissioner said more than 84,000 Pakistanis called Australia their home while thousands were studying there, who would contribute to the future growth of Pakistan or contribute a share in sending remittances to Pakistan.

Mr Aziz said he would build links between the business communities of Pakistan and Australia through government-to-government linkages.

Mr Ahmed said Pakistan was an open economy while global free trade was becoming the top priority across the world, but there was a need to have a universal forum for the Pakistani business community.

“There should be an unrestricted flow of goods and services and the high commissions can create a forum between Pakistani and various countries for the benefit of all stakeholders.

“The Pakistani business community could contribute to trade links even from a third country,” he said.

“Our exports to Australia have registered a 30pc growth with rice on the top.”

He added that Australia provided support to Pakistan during the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods as the friendly country wanted communities to be resilient to challenges and unpredictable natural calamities.

Mr Hussain said when the potential of women grows the economy also grows as they are a major part of economic growth and prosperity. Pakistan has immense potential to create opportunities and Australia should increase its support for gender equality.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2021