DUBAI: The dream of making Pakistan a strong economic power and an investment destination cannot be possible without good relations with its neighbors — including India,” Mohammed Zubair, the governor of Pakistan's Sindh province, told an investor conference in Dubai.
Zubair, who headed the Board of Investment of Pakistan before moving to the gubernatorial office, said that it was wishful thinking for a country having issues with its neighbors to aim at being an economic power.
He was addressing a business community meeting during a conference — “New Emerging Market” — organized by the Pakistan Business Council in Dubai.
“I am not saying India and Pakistan have to be buddies, but both countries should have working relations and should focus on improving business ties which will eventually lead to normalization,” he said.
“America-China and China-Taiwan are examples that show how states can put their differences aside and move forward.”
“Bitter relations will take both countries nowhere. If we want to guarantee the socio-economic welfare of our people, we have to talk and to do business with each other. At the end of the day, bad relations are a loss for the poor people of both the countries.”
Zubair said the present government had ensured peace in the country and now it was time to make borders peaceful.
“We (the government) are an investor-friendly government. We realize that any international investor who is keen to invest in Pakistan will assess the country’s internal and external challenges and threats. And if he realizes his investment is at stake due to the uncertainty of external as well as internal issues, he will never put his money into big projects,” he said.
Ahmed Shaikhani, president of the Pakistan Business Council in Dubai, also endorsed this view and said that (good) relations with neighboring countries were essential for the country for both long- and short-term economic policies and growth.
“Pakistan is always keen to have very good relations with its neighbors and always tries to strengthen the relationship,” he said.
Naeem Y. Zaminder, who is a minister of state and chairman of the Board of Investment, briefed the audience about business and about opportunities in Pakistan, especially after the CPEC project.
He also assured Pakistani businessmen in Dubai that investing in Pakistan was not only easy but that the returns were also quick and impressive.
