Davos (Web Desk): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that Pakistan will not become part of any conflict in future as it has made a conscious decision to only partner with people in peace.
Addressing the "Pakistan Strategy Dialogue" on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the prime minister said that both the Afghan jihad and the war against terrorism after 9/11 cost Pakistan heavily and inflicted a lot of damage to our society.
"The war on terrorism left our seventy thousand people dead but we have now dismantled the terrorist groups," Imran Khan said.
PM Imran said that said Pakistan played its part in trying to avert the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. He said that Pakistan is also actively participating to facilitate the Afghan peace process.
"There is a chance of ceasefire in Afghanistan which will help us reach the Central Asian countries through the economic corridor," PM Khan added.
Alluding to the economic situation of Pakistan, the prime Minister said the first year remained focused on stabilisation measures which helped us significantly cut the current account deficit.
"This year, we want to grow our economy in order to provide jobs to our youth. We are doing everything possible to attract investment and incentivize the industries," PM Imran said.
Referring to the steps taken to remove hurdles in the way of investment, Khan said that the World Bank has improved Pakistan’s ranking for ease of doing business.
"Our foreign investment in one year jumped 200 percent,"he said.
"Pakistan is hoping to attract investments in different sectors including agriculture, minerals and information technology," PM Imran added.
Highlighting the tourism potential of Pakistan including its centuries old civilisation, Imran Khan said that Pakistan is one of the most undiscovered countries in the world. He said we can strengthen our economy by tapping the true potential of tourism.
"Several world institutions have declared Pakistan as one of the most exciting tourism destinations," he said.
PM Imran said that tourism in Pakistan doubled in one year as a result of steps taken by the incumbent government.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan met the leaders of Singapore and Azerbaijan on the sidelines of the WEF.
According to an official statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and PM Imran discussed a whole spectrum of bilateral relations that are "marked by mutual trust and support".
The prime minister appreciated Azerbaijan’s valuable contributions, the statement read, including those as a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.
The premier reiterated Pakistan’s support to Azerbaijan on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, the FO statement added.
Imran also briefed the president on the human rights violations in occupied Kashmir as well as the impact of the Indian government's unilateral actions of stripping the region of its special autonomous status.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan also met his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the WEF.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood, Permanent Representative to UN at Geneva Ambassador Khalil Hashmi and senior officials.
