Strength In Diversity

With so much more to offer than what is generally known Pakistan is poised to make its mark on the global stage

Relations between the UAE and Pakistan historically have always been strong with the foundation of this relation laid by the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, according to Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE.

Delving further into the long-standing ties that bind the two nations, the Ambassador said: “Pakistanis have been coming to this part of the world historically for centuries, but the relationship took on a new facet during the early ‘60s when Pakistanis started coming here to participate in various sectors. These included agriculture, banking, telecommunications, and engineering to name a few. So, over the years, these multi-layered and deep-rooted linkages have only grown stronger.”

Tirmizi also acknowledged the fact that it has been a mutually beneficial bond where both countries have thrived on the support of each other. He said: “It has been a very good relationship. Historically, the UAE has always supported us. While Pakistan played a critical role in setting up various institutions, the UAE in return, provided us the technical, the financial support to run major projects in Pakistan. They have invested a lot in telecommunications sector and oil refining sectors and many other sectors of the country.”

Participating in global events

He added that it was time to step forward and take this relationship to the next level. “That is my mandate, that we have to provide a business and economic centric content to this relationship.” Although bilateral trade between two countries increased by almost 25 per cent in the last financial year, there’s a potential to take it much further. According to the Ambassador, the economy of Pakistani is on the upswing and more and more companies are actively taking part in global events. He said: “I’m very happy that we’ve had two major exhibitions in the last few days i.e. IDEX and Gulfood. In the latter, 97 Pakistani companies participated with deals worth millions of dollars being signed. I spoke to one company, they told me that they have signed contract for $7 million. So, if we translate that into the other deals, it spells as very promising for Pakistan.”

Talking about IDEX and Gulfood, Tirmizi said that Pakistan was well represented at both events. He further said that there were very useful interactions with the UAE side as well as with other global partners. “So that is the focus of my stay here, that we have to come up with new and innovative ways to translate it to the next level, which is the economic,” he emphasised.

Promising sectors

The Ambassador was effusive in his praise for the next-gen Pakistani companies that were coming to the fore, generating revenue and building a name for the country in hitherto unheralded sectors. He quoted the example of companies such as Careem and Pakwheels, which are impressive success stories in this day and age of tech-savvy brands. Tirmizi further prophesised that this was just the beginning and that in the coming years, more such IT-led companies would burst onto the horizon. “So, that’s one thing that I will be focusing on, because Pakistan has the critical mass as well as the talent to cater to the new, because that’s the beauty of the globalised world right now. You can buy, sell, you can do global trading, thanks to this global platform. And Pakistan looks set to make a niche in this,” he said.

Another sector that the Ambassador earmarked as being crucial in putting Pakistan on the world map was tourism. “Pakistan, in terms of our history, culture and diversity is a paradise. We have the maximum number of glaciers in the We’ve got five peaks over 8,000 metres. There are 14 peaks in the world, five in Pakistan, six in Nepal, three in China. So, Pakistan is a haven for mountaineer tourism. And now, with world class hotels already starting to come up in the northern area, we need to highlight it more so that we bring in travellers and tourists from all over the world, who can fall in love with the boundless beauty that Pakistan has to offer. They will also see that there is so much more that the country has, instead of what the world hears about.” The Ambassador said that the government has injected a lot of investment into the sector and now it is time that visitors from the GCC as well as residents living here came to explore the natural beauty of Pakistan. Besides the mountains, there is the 5,000 years of history in Pakistan, along with its majestic scenery which includes deserts, ports, music and so much more. “And I think the travel and tourism industry is really booming, especially in the northern areas. So, if we could somehow tap this into the local GCC population and make them visit Pakistan more, that’s what we need to do,” said the Ambassador. He quoted multiple examples of people with professional careers who had left their high-paying jobs to enter the hospitality sector, setting up resorts in the northern areas. “What could be more relaxing than sitting inside your room, and outside your window you can see the first light and the last light on Rakaposhi. These are the sort of stories that should be more promoted.”

Reaching out to the Pakistani community

“We have organised a few events and are planning to hold a series of events commemorating with the 23rd March celebrations in Pakistan. We are already working on more events to project the rich cultural heritage, art, music of Pakistan,” said the Ambassador. He said that every day there are events where the Embassy reaches out to the community and highlights positive achievements and milestones in order to build links with the expat population and to give them a sense of home.

A positive change

Tirmizi said that inspite of the current situation, there was a lot of positives in the country and there was good reason to remain optimistic. “In terms of natural beauty, in terms of warmth of people, in terms of potential, Pakistan has few peers and that is something very important to be made known on a global scale. And most of the people who have traveled to Pakistan for the first time, they all talk about the kind of generosity, the kind of experience they witnessed in Pakistan, it is hard to find in other parts of the world. That is one thing that I would be really focusing on,” he said.

“A few days ago, I met an American lady, based in Dubai who has been operating textile operations in Pakistan. And she says that despite all challenges, she has made a lot of profits from her ventures in Pakistan. And that’s what she says, that the quality of textile and the quality of manpower that Pakistan has offered is something spectacular,” added the Ambassador. He said that the lady was especially appreciative about the warmth of the people, the hospitality that she has experienced in Pakistan, operating in Pakistan. “So that’s what I would be focusing on. In fact, there were a lot of articles last year where Pakistan is consistently ranked as one of the top travel destinations. If only we could promote that more.”

Bonds of brotherhood

“As I’ve been saying repeatedly in my interviews and public interaction, there is a history of cultural familiarity between the people of both countries,” said Tirmizi on the topic of strengthening the deep-rooted ties between the UAE and Pakistan. He cited his own example as he opted for a second posting in the UAE because of the cultural familiarity. “Besides the presence of the Pakistani community, the warmth that I have experienced in the UAE is commendable. The people of the UAE are very warm, very generous and very hospitable. And that goes all the way from the people right to the leadership of this warm nation. I have interacted with members of the royal families, they always talk with great regard of their association with Pakistan. In fact, I have met many Emiratis, both in the public and private sector who can speak fluently in Urdu. The reason being that they grew up and studied in Pakistan. They can relate to many things that only the citizens of Pakistan can relate to and that is a very strong bond. These are the stories that connect the and that’s what we would be really focusing on that the old connections that we’ve had between the peoples of the two countries because they should be cherished and they should be brought out in the public. These stories have to be told and strengthened in order to renew the special bond that exists between the two countries as well as the people of both countries. Because this is very rare to have these very strong bonds on a country level. You don’t hear of that very often.”

Message on Pakistan Resolution Day

“The Pakistan Resolution Day is a blessing for the people of the country and for the people of the region. And I believe it has been impressive what Pakistan has achieved in the last 75 years. Our potential is much more. Our homeland is endowed with all the resources, the most important are the people of Pakistan. And that is my message, that the people have to invest in themselves, in their skills and their expertise, and they have to create a model state in the region as well. As I would like to especially laud the services of the Pakistanis who are working abroad for the glowing reputation they have earned. The kind of goodwill that has been generated by these people has been a blessing. Continue to make us proud so that whenever our nation is spoken of, we can hold our heads high.”

— ali@khaleejtimes.com

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