LONDON, Sep 22 (APP):J7 Group Chairman Maqbool Hussain Awan Tuesday called on overseas Pakistanis, particularly those living in the United Kingdom, to invest their capital, skills and experience in Pakistan, saying major opportunities are emerging in technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), real estate, hospitality and infrastructure development. He made these remarks after meeting Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Tipu Usman at the Pakistan High Commission in London. The High …
J7 Group chairman urges overseas Pakistanis to invest in Pakistan’s modern tax-free zones
LONDON, Sep 22 (APP):J7 Group Chairman Maqbool Hussain Awan Tuesday called on overseas Pakistanis, particularly those living in the United Kingdom, to invest their capital, skills and experience in Pakistan, saying major opportunities are emerging in technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), real estate, hospitality and infrastructure development.
He made these remarks after meeting Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Tipu Usman at the Pakistan High Commission in London. The High Commissioner endorsed and supported Awan’s appeal to overseas Pakistanis to play a greater role in Pakistan’s development.
Awan said J7 Group had come to the UK as part of a major initiative to engage British companies and the Pakistani community and introduce them to investment and business opportunities available in Pakistan.
“There are tremendous opportunities being created in Pakistan,” Awan said. “Our group is currently undertaking major developments, including malls, hotels, technology zones and different kinds of development projects. We are currently undertaking around 10 million square feet of construction, which demonstrates the scale of development taking place in Pakistan despite negative perceptions about the country’s economy.
“People talk about a crisis in Pakistan but when one group alone is carrying out around 10 million square feet of construction, you can see the scale at which development is taking place,” he said.
Awan said his group had grown several times over during the past two to three years and had generated substantial business during this period. He said the experience showed that significant opportunities remained available for investors willing to explore Pakistan’s market.
He particularly highlighted J7 Group’s technology zone, saying it was designed to provide opportunities to international companies seeking to establish operations in Pakistan and participate in technology transfer.
Awan said US-based, Saudi, UAE, Chinese and other international companies were showing interest in the technology sector and that the group’s technology zone was actively working to facilitate such businesses.
He said the government had introduced major tax incentives, including a zero-tax regime for qualifying activities within the technology-zone framework, creating opportunities for international technology and innovation companies.
Awan said the response to infrastructure developed by J7 Group had been so strong that the company was now considering how substantially it could expand and scale its operations to meet growing demand.
The J7 chairman made a particular appeal to British Pakistanis who have spent decades building successful businesses and professional careers in the UK.
“There are people in the UK who have spent 25, 30 or 40 years gaining knowledge and experience,” he said. “We want them to translate what they have learned into something beneficial for the nation.”
He urged Pakistani professionals specialising in technology, innovation and other advanced sectors to bring their expertise to Pakistan and work with local businesses and young people.
Awan said overseas Pakistanis, businesses and professionals should make a collective and integrated effort to create opportunities for Pakistan’s younger generation and help the country navigate difficult global economic conditions.
He said Pakistan’s improving international profile had created further opportunities and argued that greater engagement by the diaspora could accelerate investment, innovation, technology transfer and economic development.
Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Tipu Usman supported Awan’s appeal and encouraged overseas Pakistanis to explore opportunities in Pakistan and contribute their investment, knowledge and international experience to the country’s development.
