ISLAMABAD, May 25: Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Tuesday said the government had provided ideal business climate and investment opportunities to foreign investors in IT and telecom sectors of Pakistan.

"We not only want the foreign companies to start their operations in Pakistan but also want them to invest in the human resource development so that the country can produce world-class IT-enabled services and products."

Mr Leghari expressed these views in a meeting with Michael Weaver, vice-president and global head, and Daniel Monahan, director and worldwide head, of a foreign IT firm, who called on him to apprise him of their plans to expand their regional IT hub to Pakistan from Europe and Middle East-Africa region.

The minister said a tremendous response by foreign investors to the policies introduced by the government in the telecom sector reflected on the level of confidence they had in Pakistan as a potential market growing at a fast pace.

Mr Weaver reiterated his company's renewed commitment to Pakistan for making this region "IT savvy with more focus on services and trainings". He said his company was setting up a centre of excellence in Pakistan to add value to its products and services. "We have already employed 50 top-class local professionals and plan to add another 150 in the next 12 months," he said.

Daniel Monahan also appreciated the governmental policies which, he said, were very conducive to attract more investment to Pakistan. Pakistan to help Kabul: Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari here on Tuesday held a meeting with Dr Nanguyalai Tarzi, Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, to discuss mutual cooperation in the fields of telecommunication.

He told the ambassador that Pakistan wanted to help Afghanistan improve its telecommunication facilities. The ambassador briefed the minister on the reconstruction efforts underway in his country and plans to lay a railway track that would run from Quetta and pass through Afghanistan to link up with Zahedan in Iran.