LONDON: Minister for Interior Prof.Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan wascontemplating to issue Electronic Visa (E-Visa) soon like other countries,to facilitate visitors and investors, in order to make the country memberof the global economy and best investment and tourist destination.

“We are in the process of issuing E-Visa soon in consultation with ourforeign office like other countries to the genuine visitors and investorssoon thus making Pakistan a member of the global economy and the bestinvestment and tourist destination in the world”, he said while addressingthe Pakistani community here at a reception hosted in his honour inPakistan high commission on Monday night.

Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner to United Kingdom Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, Lord Qurban, Members of the UK Parliament Illyas Amin Qureshi andMuhammad Yasin, officials of Pakistan High Commission London and a largenumber of the members of British Pakistani community and journalistsattended the reception.

Prof Ahsan Iqbal who is currently on an official visit to the UK said thatdue to prudent policies of the PML-N government Pakistan’s economy was onthe takeoff position and poised to become one of the fastest growingeconomies of the world.

The Minister said that when PML-N government came into power after May 2013elections, Pakistan economy was in shamble, there were 18-20 hours loadshedding and industries were also not getting the electricity,Pakistan’seconomy was frozen at 3 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while thelaw and order situation was also alarming with dozens killed in bomb blastson daily basis.

The Interior Minister was of the view that Newsweek at that time in areport had declared Pakistan as the most dangerous country than Iraqbesides dubbing Pakistan a stone age country due to nonavailability ofelectricity.

The PML-N government under the leadership of former Prime Minister MuhammadNawaz Sharif and his team worked day and night to overcome these issue, headded.

Ahsan Iqbal said that after the hectic efforts of four years and prudentpolicies and initiation of energy projects by the government not onlyensured supply of 24-hour electricity to domestic consumers but alsosupplied electricity to industrial sector besides adding 11000 megawatts ofelectricity in the national grid.

He added that due to actions were taken against the terrorists, the law andorder situation has been restored besides ensuring peace in FederallyAdministered Tribal Areas (FATA).

He said that peace has also been restored in Karachi which is the financialcapital of Pakistan. The Interior Minister said that PML-N governmentsigned the US $ 46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) withChina and so far the US $ 29 billion projects have been energized.

He said that credit of exploiting and exploring the Thar coal project wentto present government which was ignored for the last seventy years.

Highlighting the potential of Thar coal reserves, he said that the area hasthe potential to the energy values equal to Saudi Arabi and Iran.

He said that Thar coal mines can fulfill the energy requirements ofPakistan for the four hundred years (400) years.

Pakistan, he said under CPEC would build Gawadar Maritime port making itone of the best maritime ports in Aian region.

He said that last year Pakistan has achieved a GDP growth rate of 5.3percent, besides industrial growth and growth in remittances were also thehighest of the last nine years.

Ahsan Iqbal told the Pakistani diaspora that Pakistan has now become one ofthe best investment-friendly destinations for investors with an attractivemarket of 207 million people with emerging middle class.

He called upon them to take benefit of maximum investment opportunities invarious sectors of the economy including the Information Technolgy sectorand play their vital role in the socio-economic development of Pakistan.

He also urged them to invite UK investors to come forward and take maximuminvestment opportunity being offered in various sectors of the economy inPakistan through their investments and government would fully facilitatethem in this regard.

Ahsan Iqbal also urged Pakistani diaspora of UK to send maximum remittancesto Pakistan through official and banking channels and also participate inthe development of their motherland through making investments.

He assured them that their genuine problems which they indicated would belooked into and resolved them on a priority basis.

Ahsan Iqbal said that government was making efforts to boost exports,attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and remittances from overseasPakistanis for the economic prosperity of the country.

Pakistan, he said was now on road to progress and in a take-off positionowing to the restoration of peace in the country and good economic policiesinitiated by the present government.

Replying to a question, he said that people of Indian occupied Kashmir(IOK) were facing worst kind of atrocities at the hand of occupation forcesand called upon the international community including the UK to play theirvital role in the provision of justice to the people of IOK.

He said Pakistan was now a strong and stable democracy and stressed theneed for political stability and continuity of policies for the prosperityof the country.

In his opening remarks, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri welcomed the InteriorMinister and appreciated his leading role in the formulation of Vision 2025and CPEC for Pakistan.

He said that Minister has returned from successful Washington visit andcome to Pakistan High Commission London to meet the Pakistani communityliving in the UK.

He hoped that visit of the Minister would help further strengthen thebilateral relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdon.