Date: Monday 19 November
Time: 15.30 – 17.00
Venue: Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP
Pakistan is a country of immense diversity and a wealth of potential opportunities for international trade and cross cultural relations. With upcoming elections in the New Year and Pakistan’s current economic and political climate, coupled with the surge in popularity for the PTI party, never have its policies been more timely.
On Monday 19 November, Asia House hosted a public policy briefing with Imran Khan, presidential candidate and Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party. Guests comprised top business and political leaders, including Michael Wade, Chair of the Conservative Friends of Pakistan; David Abrahams, Vice President of RUSI; Jonathan Humble, International Business Manager of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Jason Choy, Chair of the Institute of Directors.
The event was chaired by Sir John Boyd, Chairman of Asia House, with a speech given by Khan on UK-Pakistan political and economic relations and the upcoming Pakistan elections in 2013. General discussion of these issues was followed by a Q & A session.
Speaking ahead of the briefing, Imran Khan commented, “The key to opening up investment opportunities is good governance – the better the governance, the better it enables an environment to invest in.” He continued, “Pakistan sits on huge mineral reserves – including coal, copper, gold, gas, marble, granite and very fertile land – and of 180 million people, 50 percent are under the age of 25, so we have a young population with lots of energy. We need to harness the potential of the country – we are in an area that is one of the fastest growing in the world, with India on one side and China in the other; Pakistan is ideally located.”
Concluded Khan: “Events such as this are important as they allow us to speak to potential investors and the business community at large. Pakistan has great potential – in the 1960s it had one of the fastest growth rates, and was a model for the third world. Sadly, we lost our way, but I think there is great hope now that the whole country is ready for a change.”
Added Jonathan Mermagen, Official Chairman of the UK PTI Secretariat, “PTI has an economic policy that calls for stringent reform to combat corruption within Pakistan through an investment and trade driven growth strategy. Briefings such as these, with industry leaders, are integral in creating a positive trade dialogue between the UK and Pakistan and providing a much needed platform in which to build a better economic future for Pakistan.”
“We were pleased to host Imran Khan at Asia House as part of our mission to increase the understanding of Asia within the UK. We have an established and valued tradition of open and constructive discussion as part of our programme of public policy briefings,” commented Sir Boyd. “Today’s event with Imran khan was a valuable part of that series. The long-standing links between the UK and Pakistan makes it a country of enormous interest, both to us and others, and we are always proud to examine trade, cultural exchanges and social connections.”
Notes for Editors
About Imran Khan
As a presidential candidate, Imran Khan is a tireless fundraiser for social causes in education, health and basic social services. After completing his early education in Lahore, Khan earned his graduate degree from Oxford University UK. For his many achievements Khan has received the President’s Pride of Performance Award (1983) and Pakistan’s prestigious civil award the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (1992). He is featured in Oxford University’s Hall of Fame and is an Honorary Fellow of Oxford’s Keble College. Khan also serves as the fifth Chancellor of the University of Bradford. In 1994, Khan founded Namal College, now an associate college of University of Bradford of UK. He also established the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, with a second, sister hospital in Peshawar currently under construction. In the wake of Pakistan’s recent floods, Khan founded the Imran Khan Foundation, raising much needed funds for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts to ease the burden of poor communities.
About Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was founded in 1996 by Imran Khan. It promotes a policy of “Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem” by seeking to fight corruption in Pakistani politics through the promotion of democracy. The party strives to establish the rule of law and ensure protection of human rights with an independent and honest judiciary, striving for the social development and economic prosperity of Pakistanis, especially the poor and underprivileged masses. For more information, visit www.insaf.pk
About Asia House
Asia house, the leading pan-Asian organisation in the UK, exists to build dynamic links with Asia, important now more than ever. By providing unique insights into culture, policy, business and education, Asia House promotes informed understanding and the mutual exchange of ideas, building stronger relationships between the diverse communities of Europe and Asia. Asia House is a non-profit, non-political organisation. For more information, visit www.asiahouse.org
