QUETTA, June 23: British High Commissioner to Pakistan Mark Lyall Grant has underlined the need for resolving conflicts with local sardars and improving security for creating a conducive atmosphere to ensure foreign investment in Balochistan including Gwadar.

He was speaking at a round-table on “British and Pakistan economic relations with reference to Balochistan”, arranged by Balochistan Economic Forum here on Thursday. He said that the government of Pakistan should concentrate on elimination of terrorism and take more steps against drug trafficking in the country including Balochistan.

“The governments of the UK and US cannot resolve these problems as it is the internal problem of Pakistan”, Mr Mark said and added that his country could extend all help and cooperation to Pakistan in this connection.

He said Balochistan is a vast province with scanty and scattered population having problems including financial crisis, but added that he is hopeful about the positive changes in the province in future. He said that government should provide basic infrastructure in the province as it was indispensable for the development of the province.

He said that Balochistan must prepare itself for meeting the future challenges and competition with countries of the region by exploiting its potential to attract foreign investment.

“I cannot tell the British companies to make investment in Balochistan as they are all private companies and prefer their profit the most”, he said, and added that government of Pakistan should create such opportunities and give such incentives in Balochistan that would attract foreign investors.

The British High Commissioner expresses satisfaction over the developments in Pakistan and said that internally Pakistan had made positive development in many sectors including democracy and local bodies system while externally in terms of developing better relations with India.

“The positive developments in Pakistan led to the signing of a peace and prosperity agreement between the British and Pakistan governments in London in December last during the visit of President Musharraf”, he said.

British Airways launched flight operation between Islamabad and Manchester while trade missions, which had been affected by 9/11 incident, were dispatched to Pakistan as a step to promote bilateral relations between the two countries, he informed.

“We also worked with the Pakistani companies to increase the credit rates”, he said, and maintained that the visa services have also been improved. A total of 165,000 visas were issued to Pakistani nationals during the last year that would further be increased this year to touch the figure of 200,000, he said, and added that the visa process was also affected due to 9/11 incident.

He said that the British Government is currently giving an aid of 75 million pounds to Pakistan.

The British High Commissioner welcomed the gas pipeline initiative among Pakistan, India and Iran and said that it could prove beneficial for all the three countries.

Balochistan’s former chief minister Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali while speaking on the occasion said that the completion of Gwadar port and gas pipeline from Iran to India would make Balochistan the hub of trade and economic activities.

He termed the law and order situation in the province was good, and said that Balochistan offered positive incentives to foreign investors.

Earlier, Balochistan Economic Forum President Sardar Shaukat Popalzai, in his reception address, highlighted the importance of different sectors in Balochistan and sought technical and financial assistance from the British government for their promotion.

He sought British assistance for transfer of technical know-how to put the agriculture sector of the province on modern lines as 67 per cent of its population was dependent on this sector.

He informed the British envoy that 75 per cent of the total minerals of the country consist of copper and gold, and of which Balochistan makes almost 100 per cent due to two big reserves of copper and gold in Saindak and Rigodik areas.

He termed the environment in Balochistan as friendly, peaceful and conducive to foreign investment and urged the British ambassador to persuade his country businessmen for investment in the province.