LONDON : Pakistan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Moazzam Ahmad Khan has said that further strengthening the existing friendly relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, facilitating and leveraging the potentials of our diaspora and highlighting the Kashmir issue at international levels for its peaceful resolution would be his top priorities.
He stated this while briefing a small group of UK based Pakistani media here at the High Commission, in his maiden interaction with them the other-day.
Moazzam Ahmad Khan said that he had served many countries including India and also worked at Pakistan’s foreign office at various capacities and has vast experience in the field of diplomacy which he wanted to utilize for the benefit of Pakistan and welfare of
Pakistani community living in the UK.
Highlighting the lingering Kashmir dispute with India, he said people of illegally occupied Indian Jammu and Kashmir were undergoing worst kind of atrocities and human rights violations at the hands of Indian occupation forces for the past seven decades.
The High Commissioner said that Kashmir issue was not only a bilateral and international dispute but also an issue of humanitarian crisis, created due to India’s
illegal occupation of the held state.
He said that he would play his vital role in highlighting the Pakistan principled stand on Kashmir issue and struggle of Kashmiri people to achieve their birth right to self determination and freedom from Indian subjugation at various forums in the UK.
In this regard, he said he would also involve the British Pakistani parliamentarians and notables to highlight the issue through Webinars, for its peaceful solution, in order to achieve a sustainable peace and development in the region.
He also urged the UK based Pakistani media to play their vital role in highlighting the issue and expose egregious gross violations of human right and atrocities by Indian occupation forces being perpetrated on the innocent people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to deny them of their birth right to self determination.
Moazzam A Khan said that Pakistan High Commission London would mark October 27 as black day and organize webinars on Kashmir issue to express solidarity with the
people of IOJK, as on this day in 1947,Indian forces invaded Kashmir killed innocent people and occupied their land.
About Pakistan UK relations, he said that Pakistan enjoyed friendly relations with the UK in the multifaceted areas of education, trade and investment and culture and he would make efforts to further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries for the common good.
He said that efforts were also being made to propel the volume of bilateral trade and attract maximum British investments in Pakistan.
He added that establishing start-ups in Pakistan, the British and Pakistani investors in the UK were being facilitated and coordinated them with the relevant Pakistani companies and regulators aimed to promote their investments and businesses in Pakistan.
He added that he would also make efforts to encourage that British and Pakistani investors of the UK to take maximum benefits from the liberal and investment friendly environment and opportunities being offered for the foreign investors in Pakistan.
He added that for leveraging the maximum potentials of Pakistani diaspora besides taking steps for their welfare the Pakistan High Commission was also facilitating them in the consular services.
In this regard , he said that to facilitate Pakistani Community for Consular services (Passport,NADRA and attestation) ,the High Commission has already started daily appointments system for Consular services on Monday to Thursday basis from 0930 hrs to 1530 hrs.
He added that in the Consular section extra staff have also been deployed for the convenience of the Pakistani community.
He also appreciated Pakistani diaspora for their services and contributions during natural calamities to people of Pakistan for which people and government of Pakistan keep them in high esteem.
The High Commissioner appreciating the Roshan Digital Accounts and banking product introduced by the Government of Pakistan for Overseas Pakistanis said that
this account would not only benefit the Pakistani dispora but also help attract their investments and remittances for the economic prosperity of Pakistan.
He urged that Pakistani diaspora should take the benefit from this facility.
He also hoped that due to this facility the non-official transactions like “Hundi and Hawala” system of money transfer would be discouraged and overseas Pakistanis through the Roshan Digital Account would prefer to transfer their money to Pakistan though banking and legal means, ultimately benefitting the country.
He added that in collaboration with State Bank of Pakistan (SBP),other experts in banking sector, Pakistan High Commission (PHC) would organize a Webinar to further
highlight this new banking product for overseas Pakistanis for creating awareness about its importance and benefits to them and for their country of origin.
He also urged Pakistani media to highlight this important bank product initiated by government of Pakistan to facilitate the overseas Pakistanis.
He also hoped with the introduction of this product would help attract overseas Pakistanis for investments in their motherland.
Moazzam A Khan also appreciated the Government of Pakistan for taking immediate and timely steps for containing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and save peoples
lives.
He added that Pakistan’s policies in this regard were also being recognized internationally.
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