Consul General Tariq Karim gave a talk at East-West University, in Chicago, on “Prospects for Expansion of Pakistan’s Partnership with U.S. Midwest” as a part of the University’s “Perspectives Talk series.”
In his remarks, the Consul General highlighted: significance of the Pakistan-US relations; growing economic, trade and cultural ties between Pakistan and the Midwest region; investment opportunities in Pakistan and scope for cooperation; and role of the vibrant Pakistani-American community.
The Consul General stated that Pakistan’s geo-strategic location, its market size and demographic dividend, rich human and natural resources, extensive infrastructure, liberal investment policies and rapidly growing tech sector have made Pakistan an important business and investment destination in the world. He also highlighted Pakistan’s enormous tourism potential with a wide range of travel destinations.
Consul General Tariq Karim informed that the Government of Pakistan has formed a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as a ‘single-window’ platform to facilitate investors, improve ease of doing business and revitalize the economy. The SIFC will shorten lengthy business processes, develop a whole of the government approach and tap Pakistan’s potential in key sectors of IT, agriculture, energy, mining, and defense production. He gave a detailed briefing on investment opportunities in Pakistan and incentives for foreign investors in different sectors.
The Consul General shared that Pakistan’s partnership with the Midwest region was growing with increased trade, investment and people-to-people interactions. He underscored the enormous scope for cooperation between Pakistan and the Midwest region in diverse fields including trade, IT, agriculture, energy, mining, healthcare, education and tourism. He also emphasized the significance of cultural exchanges, people-to-people interactions and institutional linkages, including under the mechanism of sister city arrangements.
Consul General Tariq Karim highlighted the contribution made by the Pakistani-American community to the socio-economic development of the two countries and their bridge-building role. He encouraged them to continue playing their active role in the economic development of Pakistan and promotion of bilateral relations.
The Consul General highlighted that it is an ideal time to invest in Pakistan while encouraging the U.S. companies and Pakistani Diaspora to benefit from investment opportunities in Pakistan.
The event concluded with an interactive Q&A session during which Consul General Tariq Karim responded to various questions related to bilateral relations, investment opportunities in Pakistan and role of the community.
Chicago, IL
November 21, 2023
November 21, 2023
