FAISALABAD, Oct 21: British High Commissioner Mark Lyall Grant has said that a total of 80,000 UK visas would be issued to Pakistanis this year and 150,000 next year.

Speaking to the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Tuesday, he claimed that a comprehensive plan had been chalked out to issue visas to businessmen within the shortest possible period of time.

The British high commissioner pointed out that due to security problems in Pakistan, the UK had reduced the number of its visa officers from 56 to four in January, but now their strength was 37.

He said that direct flights of the British Airways from Islamabad to London would start from Dec 2. The airline would also start flights from Karachi and Lahore, he added.

Mr Grant said that Pakistan could achieve self-reliance and prosperity only after the Kashmir dispute was resolved, trade with India restored and law and order ensured to attract foreign investment.

He said Pakistan had a great potential and market for products of Central Asian states, but there were great opportunities of investment and marketing in India as well. “The Kashmir issue could not be resolved through third-party intervention,” he maintained.

He said that half of the trade of Pakistan was with India in 1950. But the same had now been reduced to one per cent. Pakistani industrialists and entrepreneurs would have to compete with international companies based in China and India after meeting the challenges and requirements of the modern era.

He said that the United Kingdom was a leading investor in Pakistan, which could be judged from the fact that trade between the two countries was over one billion pounds.

The British high commissioner inaugurated the recently constructed Lyall Hall in the local Chenab Club, and planted a sapling in the local Gardeners Club.