HYDERABAD, Aug 7: The British deputy high commissioner, David Pearey, has said that amongst the developing countries, Pakistan was a model state, and added that Pakistan had played a very important role in the elimination of terrorism.
He said this while addressing the members of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry at its secretariat on Wednesday.
He said democracy in Pakistan was moving in the right direction.
He said that the relationship between Britain and Pakistan was historic and the entrepreneurs of his country had invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
Mr David said that the entrepreneurs of his country were interested in investing in an agro-based industry, and added that the investment climate in Pakistan was investment friendly.
About the visa policy, he said that the Karachi high commission was issuing around 400 visas per day to the general public and traders.
SIDA: Mr David also visited the office of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority office where he was given a briefing by its managing director, Rafique Safi Munshey, on the irrigation reforms in Sindh.
Mr Rafique described the salient features of the on-going reforms in the province.
He claimed that Sindh province was far ahead of other provinces in bringing about institutional reforms, which was acknowledged in a World Bank report.
They discussed the current rain/flood situation in the province.
PPP: A large number of PPP activists held a demonstration and staged a sit-in on a section of the Bulri Shah Karim-Hyderabad road to protest against the conviction of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari by a Swiss magistrate on Thursday.
They raised slogans against Gen Pervez Musharraf and were led by Haji Mohammad Amin Lakho.
Speaking on the occasion, Haji Mohammad Amin Lakho, said that the decision against Benazir Bhutto and her husband was not the decision of a judge but of an inspector.
He said the Pakistani rulers by instituting false cases against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari wanted to debar them from politics.
He said when the people of Sindh were facing untold miseries due to rains and flood, the conviction secured by the Pakistani rulers through a Swiss magistrate was tantamount to rubbing salt into their wounds.
Dr Mohammad Ayub Jat claimed that the people were not prepared to accept the decision of the Swiss court.
Abdul Ghani Memon claimed that the government may register hundreds of cases against Benazir Bhutto but she would “continue to remain the heartthrob of the people of Pakistan”.
ELECTION: The election of the Sindh University Employees Cooperative Housing Society will be held on Aug 27.
This was decided at a meeting, presided over by Vice-Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui.
The meeting appointed Prof Mohammad Maroof Khushik to conduct the election.
TRAINING COURSE: The certificate distribution ceremony of the summer vacations training course was held here on Wednesday in the Dr Nabi Bux Baloch Model School of the Sindh University.