President Alvi urges Swiss firms to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi on Tuesday urged the Swiss companies to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Talking to the Council of States of Swiss Confederation President Mr. Jean Rene Fournier, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, Arif Alvi said noted that there was a huge tourism infrastructure potential in the country.

According to a statement released from his office, the president highlighted that there was also investment opportunities in research and innovation to increase productivity and profitability in crops, dairy, forestry, irrigation and water management and biotechnology sectors of Pakistan.

Appreciating Swiss investment in Pakistan, he underscored that the business friendly policies of the government were bearing fruit as Pakistan had gained 28 places in the “Ease of Doing Business” index this year.

President Alvi said that growth in all industries had placed great demands on all facets of Pakistan’s air, sea, rail and road and physical infrastructure. There was also a huge tourism infrastructure potential in Pakistan and Swiss firms could explore these investment opportunities, he added.

He emphasized that the energy demand in Pakistan had created highly profitable opportunities for the Swiss companies to invest in the renewable, hydel and clean technology power generation projects.

Alvi said that shared belief in fundamental principles of democracy, human rights, justice and rule of law had been the defining elements of the excellent bilateral relations.

He emphasized that Pakistan valued its long-term partnership with Switzerland in economic, trade and commercial fields.

India’s illegal actions to alter the disputed status of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the imposition of communication blockade not only contravene numerous UNSC resolutions and international law, but also blatantly violate the basic human rights of the people of Indian occupied Kashmir, said President Dr. Arif Alvi.

He stressed that Jammu and Kashmir was not an internal affair of India, rather an internationally recognized dispute, pending on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council for 70 years.

The president highlighted that the bilateral Simla Agreement that India had been presenting to the world as the sole modus operandi for resolution of bilateral disputes between India and Pakistan had failed to produce any result since 1972, read the statement.

Mr. Jean Rene Fournier said that Switzerland was a staunch supporter of human rights and would offer its good offices for resolution of Kashmir dispute, if both parties agreed.