ISLAMABAD: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has invited Pakistan to take advantage of favourable business opportunities in the United Kingdom.

Accompanied by a 25-member delegation, including business and media persons, the mayor is on his first visit to Pakistan, after assuming office in May last year.

The offer came from the visiting mayor during a meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at the PM Office. “It is UK’s objective to develop closer economic partnerships with all countries, especially those in the Commonwealth,” Mr Khan said.

He assured Mr Abbasi that he would work towards fostering closer links between London and Pakistan. He said his visit had served to remove popular misperceptions and that he and his team would work towards strengthening economic links with Pakistan.

The UK was Pakistan’s biggest trading partner in Europe with bilateral trade of 2.08 billion euros in 2016. Pakistan’s exports to the UK amount to 1.3bn euros, while imports from that country are 756 million euros.

Pakistan’s exports to the UK increased by 36.60 per cent from 973m euros in 2013 to 1.33bn euros in 2016, while its imports went up by 43pc from 528m euros in 2013 to 756m euros in 2016.

Mr Khan said there were 1.7m Pakistan-origin British citizens who were proud of their heritage and they had given the Pakistan-UK relations a special closeness. He said he was impressed by the remarkable progress achieved by the government in different areas, especially in infrastructure, technology and energy.

The visiting mayor informed the prime minister about his unveiling of the bust of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah at the British Museum at a ceremony on Nov 28 as part of the 70th Independence Day anniversary of Pakistan. The bust is now placed in the prestigious Lincoln’s Inn.

Mr Abbasi briefed Mr Khan on excellent opportunities for trade and investment in Pakistan. He told the mayor that Pakistan had become surplus in energy and in view of successful counterterrorism efforts it had become an opportune destination for UK businesses.

He expressed the hope that the mayor and his delegation would take this message to London that Pakistan was open and welcoming for trade, investment and meaningful cooperation.

Earlier at a meeting with the London mayor, Commerce Minister Pervaiz Malik said Pakistan attached special significance to this visit as it would afford both sides excellent opportunities to discuss ways and means of enhancing bilateral trade and investment.

“We are sure that London will remain one of the world’s greatest financial capitals and Europe’s biggest technology hub post-Brexit,” the minister remarked.

“It is a matter of great satisfaction for Pakistan that the UK has decided to maintain the enhanced level of market access available to Pakistan in the EU under its GSP+ scheme after its formal exit from the European Union. The government and people of Pakistan acknowledge and appreciate this decision,” the minister said.

“I am of the view that both sides need to enhance contacts between the political leaderships of the two countries to further strengthen the ties. I am hopeful that this visit shall go a long way in building an effective and long-term partnership between the two sides,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2017