Leading German airline, Lufthansa, is planning to resume weekly passenger flights to Pakistan, the German ambassador to Pakistan Bernhard Stephan Schlagheck announced on Wednesday. It has been 13 years since Lufthansa suspended its operations in Pakistan.
Schlagheck said this during a meeting with secretary Board of Investment (BOI) Fareena Mazhar.
He said that a delegation of German businessmen would visit Pakistan next week to explore investment avenues.
Lufthansa is also a part of the delegation and is keen on starting operations in Pakistan.
The delegation will hold meetings with the investors of Karachi and Islamabad and high-level government officials.
The secretary said she looks forward to the upcoming visit, which she deemed as a ‘very positive sign’ for the country’s economy.
“A senior-level meeting with Siemens Global CFO to discuss their future plans will pave the way for Siemens establishing itself further in Pakistan,” secretary Fareena said.
She added that the incumbent government is committed to providing a friendly and conducive environment to foreign investors.
The BOI secretary also apprised the German envoy regarding the ten-year tax exemption introduced in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and the launch of the landmark one window operation in November this year.
“I’m confident with the way things are going, and I’m positive that the numbers will increase,” she said while referring to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan.
Fareen Mazhar maintained that due to several business-friendly measures of the government, Pakistan is expected to jump 15-20 positions in Ease of Doing Business (EODB).
She mentioned that these steps have revived the confidence of business giants like Samsung and Uniqlo, which are set to begin their operations in Pakistan, and assured that the Board of Investment would facilitate German investors at every step of the way.
