Mayor of London Sadiq Khan arrived in Lahore on Wednesday via the Wagah Border.
The
mayor was received by officials from the Punjab government upon his
arrival and is currently holding a meeting with Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif in Model Town.
During his time in Pakistan, Khan will also visit
Islamabad and Karachi. Khan has said that his trip seeks to "strengthen
the links that exist between London and these great cities of Pakistan".
"I see my visit as an exciting opportunity to build on
the ties that bind our cities and countries together for the mutual
benefit of everyone — Brits and Pakistanis, Londoners and Lahoris,
EastEnders and Karachiites alike," Khan wrote in Dawn on Wednesday.
"As someone of Pakistani heritage, I feel a deep affinity with the country and I’m looking forward to going back."
Khan is the first ever mayor of London to make an official visit to Pakistan.
He arrived in Lahore after a three-day visit to India.
During his stay there, Khan had visited Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar and met with politicians and celebrities.
Khan
visits to India and Pakistan are part of the LondonIsOpen campaign —
launched by the mayor— to show that London is united and open for
businesses, and to the world, following the EU referendum.
The trip is aimed at strengthening trade and investment links as well as promoting cultural exchange.
London will remain open to talent from Pakistan: mayor
I’m proud to be the first-ever Mayor of London to be making
an official visit to Pakistan. As someone of Pakistani heritage, I feel a
deep affinity with the country and I’m looking forward to going back.
London and Pakistan share a long and unique history that has had a
profound influence on shaping our respective societies, economies and
cultures. I see my visit as an exciting opportunity to build on the ties
that bind our cities and countries together for the mutual benefit of
everyone — Brits and Pakistanis, Londoners and Lahoris, EastEnders and
Karachiites alike.
During my time in Pakistan, I’ll be
visiting Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi to strengthen the links that
exist between London and these great Pakistani cities. There is a huge
amount we can learn from each other and I’m confident there’s scope for
even greater collaboration in the years ahead.
By
working together and sharing best practice, I believe London and
Pakistan’s cities can speed up innovation, boost economic growth and
development, and tackle some of the major challenges we both face — from
air pollution and climate change, to good growth and jobs.
In the UK, Brexit (the decision of the UK to leave the EU) is still
dominating our national debate. I’m sure there will be questions on my
visit from politicians, business leaders and others about what Brexit
means for the future of the British-Pakistani relationship. This is
understandable given the concerns and uncertainty that have arisen in
recent months. But my message to Pakistanis will be simple: despite
Brexit, London will always remain open to the world and open to business
and talent from Pakistan.
The Brexit vote shouldn’t be
interpreted as us turning our backs on the rest of the world or pulling
up the drawbridge. London will still be one of the most welcoming,
entrepreneurial, innovative and outward-looking places anywhere on the
planet.
There are already incredible links — built up
over many decades — between the people and businesses of Pakistan and
those based in the UK and London, and there is now over £2.5 billion
worth of trade between our countries. But I know we can’t be complacent.
That’s why my aim is to ensure that London not only remains a top
destination of choice for people from Pakistan, but that it becomes an
even more attractive place to come to work, study or do business.
Many countries and cities are increasingly competing to trade with
Pakistan and to access Pakistan’s great pool of talented people. Of
course, young Pakistanis don’t have to leave their country to study or
to build a successful business. But I’m determined to ensure that London
remains open to talented people, wherever they come from. So I’m going
to be spending as much time as possible in Pakistan persuading and
reassuring people looking to go to university abroad — as well as
businessmen and women wishing to expand globally — that they should look
no further than London.
London’s underlying strengths
have not changed and the city I represent remains the best place in
Europe to study and to build a global business. We have one of the
world’s leading financial centres with a top-class legal expertise. We
have the largest technology hub in Europe. And we have a fantastic pool
of creative, talented people.
The success of London is
largely because we have been able to attract such energetic and talented
people, including many from Pakistan, over the years. My city is truly
one of immigrants, where 40 per cent of our population was born outside
the UK. This is why we value immigration, we appreciate its importance
and we pride ourselves on being one of the most diverse and welcoming
cities in the world.
It’s too early to say exactly what
sort of immigration system will be introduced in the UK post-Brexit.
But I’m lobbying the UK government hard to ensure that any future system
is flexible and works for Pakistani nationals who want to work, do
business or study in our city.
I want more Pakistanis
to be able to follow in the footsteps of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and
countless others who have had the opportunity to study at Britain’s
world-renowned universities. I believe the UK government has got it
badly wrong on post-study work visas so I’m talking to British ministers
and others to look at how we can implement a flexible migration system
that works for Pakistani students, skilled workers and entrepreneurs
alike.
My message to the people of Pakistan is that
London will always be a city that is welcoming and accessible to you and
looking to work together with your great cities. We face many shared
challenges, but I believe we have a real opportunity to forge an even
closer relationship that will help us all to prosper in the decades to
come.
I’m grateful for the kind and gracious support
from Pakistanis in arranging my visit — and I’m looking forward to what I
know will be an unforgettable and productive trip.
