- PM says now it is the time to invest in Pakistan, don’t miss the boat
DUBAI/ISLAMABAD, February 10: Prime Minister Imran Khan held bilateral meeting with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Dubai. They exchanged views on matters of bilateral interest.
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Imran Khan reached Dubai on a day-long visit to the United Arab Emirates to attend the 7th edition of the World Government Summit.
In a special gesture, Prime Minister Imran Khan was received by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan upon arrival in Dubai.
Prior to departure for Dubai with Prime Minister, talking to media, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that governance is a big issue of our region and good governance is imperative for Pakistan.
He said Pakistan is facing various problems due to bad governance in the past and the Prime Minister Imran Khan is striving hard to introduce model intuitional reforms to improve performance of government departments.
He said during the visit the Prime Minister will also hold a meeting with International Monetary Fund Chief.
He said Pakistan wants to move forward with IMF with on conditions which will not affect common men.
Later, Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the international community not to miss the boat saying now is the time to invest in Pakistan as country s economy is ready for takeoff. Addressing the World Government Summit in Dubai, he said that the people in the past had no confidence in the previous governments due to which the tax culture couldn’t be promoted and the resources were also spent on the rulers’.
The prime minister said that the country s fiscal deficit is reducing and the country is ready for international investment and to once again foster an environment for people to make money, adding that the country s tourism industry is ripe for success.
Imran Khan went on to say that Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had laid the foundations of the first welfare state on earth by upholding rule of law and emphasis on seeking knowledge.
He pointed to the ancient city s welfare system, rule of law and principles of charity as examples for Pakistan to follow.
“China has brought its 700 million population out of poverty in 30 years,” he said and added the PTI government also believes in investing in human capital of the country to uplift common people.
He said: “No society or country can make progress without improving governance, ensuring accountability, and checking corruption.”
Speaking about how while he was playing cricket, he saw the rise of nations like UAE and China, Khan said governance is the key to the success of a nation.
“A government has to be accountable, the more lean a government the more successful it is. The better the system of getting the best talent to the top, the better the country,” he said. But Pakistan he said, does not have a system of bringing that talent up. He compared this to the city of Dubai where he said every time he visited it was different.
Khan said: “We are pursuing a reform agenda to develop Pakistan on modern lines, which include facilitating ease of doing business, changing tax laws, and encouraging investments. Pakistan has the greatest tourism potential and the government was focusing on that sector.”-Sabah/Agencies
