ISLAMABAD: (APP) British and international investors expressed keen interest in Pakistan during a two-day "Pakistan Investment Conference" held in London from May 23 to 24.
Muhammad Zubair, Minister of State and Chairman Privatization Commission of Pakistan, represented Pakistan at the conference whereas Nadeem Naqvi, MD Pakistan Stock Exchange along with CEOs and CFOs of 13 leading Pakistani companies participated in the event, a message received here said.
The conference was organized by JS Global Capital Ltd, a leading investment and brokerage banking firm of Pakistan and was hosted by Renaissance Capital of the UK.
Leading investors and fund managers of the City of London held over 200 business to business meetings to brainstorm with their Pakistani counterparts with significant interest to invest in Pakistan.
The focus of the conference was to lobby support for Pakistan to regain the MSCI Emerging Market status, to review the same by June 2016); and to attract both Direct Foreign Investment and Foreign Portfolios Investment towards Pakistan in the wake of turnaround in the country's macro-economic indicators.
The conference was attended by leading fund management firms, investment banks, and other fund managers based in UK, US and Europe while Bloomberg, Reuters, and Financial Times alongside local media were also invited for coverage of the event.
Pakistan High Commissioner Syed Ibne Abbas hosted a dinner in honour of the delegates from Pakistan and the UK. The CEOs and CFOs of over 50 leading British companies and corporate bodies attended the dinner. Besides, British Pakistani Lords, MPs and business people were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Zubair, Chairman, Pakistan Privatization Commission, gave an overview of Pakistan's economy, energy situation, and improved security environment of the country.
He said that due to investment led growth policy of the present government the economy was showing an accelerated growth.
The Chairman stated that social and political stability was pushing Pakistan towards better future. He said the Prime Minister himself was heading the Cabinet Committees on Security and Energy, which showed the government's commitment to address these challenges.
Currently, there was no loadshedding for the industrial sector, added the Chairman. He also said Pakistan was winning the fight against terrorism and extremis, mainly due to consensus of all stake holders.
The Chairman also updated the guests on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and termed it a major economic breakthrough for the country as well as for the region. He apprised the guests that out of US$ 46 billion, a major chunk of US$ 34 billion was allocated for energy generation.
Zubair invited the International investors to take advantage of the profitable investment opportunities in Pakistan.
Pakistan High Commissioner also spoke on the occasion and expressed the hope that international investors would take advantage of the conducive business environment in the country especially, in the wake of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which promises economic opportunities galore.