On Monday 4 September 2023, Ambassador Azhar attended a conference on Trade and Tourism Potential in ASEAN organised by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lahore. The purpose of the conference was to explore new avenues for trade, investment and economic gains. Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman, LCCI President Kashif Anwar, High Commissioner of Malaysia Mohammad Azhar Mazlan, Ambassador of Indonesia Adam Mulawarman Tugio, Senior Vice President Zafar Mahmood Chaudhry, Vice President Adnan Khalid Butt, spoke on the occasion while Convener LCCI Standing Committee on ASEAN Raja Hassan Akhtar and EC Member Fareeha Younas were also present.
Addressing on this occasion, Governor of Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman said that there are many opportunities for the businessmen in ASEAN. Pakistan needs to target their untapped export potential and the import potential of ASEAN. He stated that Pakistan has to improve its halal standards to make its place in the halal market. He informed that all institutions and government are fully ready to facilitate the investors. He further said that Pakistan has a lot of potential in terms of tourism. He further said that investment is needed in tourism infrastructure, hospitality, hotels and restaurants. He suggested that that LCCI Research department should conduct research in collaboration with embassies and work together in each area.
LCCI President Kashif Anwar said that this conference serves as a pivotal platform for fostering collaboration and improving connectivity among private sector representatives from Pakistan and the member states of ASEAN. He stated that it is their shared goal to boost mutual trade and explore new horizons of economic cooperation. He added that ASEAN region has long been recognized as a dynamic economic powerhouse, and Pakistan is keen to harness the immense potential, it offers for our mutual benefit. He claimed that LCCI has always been at the forefront of supporting the economic growth of Pakistan through facilitating exporters and empowering the local business community.
In his speech, High Commissioner of Malaysia, Ambassador Mohammad Azhar Mazlan said that both the countries have excellent relations. He apprised that at present, more than 100,000 Pakistanis are living in Malaysia and 5000 Pakistani students are studying there. Ambassador Azhar invited Pakistanis to study in Malaysia and also emphasized the importance of education. He added that the human resources are very important for development. He informed the participants that Malaysia has a trade volume with Pakistan of USD 1.8 billion and the balance is slightly in favour of Malaysia because of palm oil and chemical products export to Pakistan. He further said that Pakistan is a region that is full of opportunities with excellent human resources, i.e. sea, rivers, ports and its geographical position is also ideal. He viewed that there is a lot of potential in Halal industry and demand for the products ranging from cosmetics to pharmaceutical.
