ISLAMABAD: Director General for Humanitarian and Development at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office Melinda Bohannon on Thursday marked her inaugural visit to Pakistan by celebrating a decade of UK investment in fostering private sector growth, climate resilience, and social development.

Highlighting the UK’s £154.7 million investment in Karandaaz, Bohannon applauded the programme’s significant impact, including the creation of over 1.1 million jobs, over half of which benefitted women, and generating Rs230 billion in additional incomes for businesses nationwide.

A statement issued by the British High Commission said that during her three-day visit, Bohannon met Pakistan’s Finance Minister to discuss progress on the country’s IMF-supported programme and ongoing UK technical assistance for economic reforms.

She also celebrated a milestone in Pakistan’s justice system with the launch of the National Sex Offender Register under the Anti-Rape Act 2021, chaired by the Secretary of Law and Justice.

Bohannon inaugurated the final session of the British High Commission’s Chevening ‘Climate Connects’ debate series, which brought together scholarship alumni to discuss progress on the ‘Just Transition’ agenda post-COP29. During her visit to Haripur, she met teachers and healthcare providers delivering transformative services through UK-supported schools and mobile medical camps.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2024