Lahore - 60 agreements and MoUs of international investment in the Punjab were signed at the concluding session of 2nd international seminar on investment opportunities in Punjab.

The provincial ministers, diplomats, consul generals of China and Turkey, members of the parliament, investors from 26 countries, local traders and industrialists attended the seminar.

Addressing the concluding session, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that during the 70 year history of Pakistan, not only thousands but lakhs of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed but a very small number of them was materialised. However, the speed with which the agreements signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan in April 2015 have been implemented upon has surprised the whole world from Washington to Tokyo and from Delhi to Moscow, he added.

The agreements and MoUs signed during the previous seminar about business opportunities in Punjab in 2015 have also been speedily implemented, and as a result of these agreements, billions of dollars investment has been made in Punjab. Like the first international seminar, the second international business seminar, being held in Lahore, has proved very successful from every respect, and the industrialists and investors coming from 26 different countries of the world, have signed agreements worth billions of dollars for investment in different sectors in the province.

The chief minister said that holding of 2nd business seminar in Lahore is a wonderful achievement as hundreds of investors from across the globe have participated in this seminar. He said that Pakistan’s largest coal power project is going to be inaugurated after 48 hours, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shall formally inaugurate this 1,320MW project. An investment of $1.8 billion has been made on it, and this project has been completed in a record period of time under the CPEC.

Meanwhile, the chief minister held separate meetings with Chief Executive Officers and high officials of foreign investment companies attending the second international seminar. The investors from China, France, Turkey, Germany, Japan, South Korea, UK and other countries agreed to invest in different sectors in the Punjab. They showed deep interest in investment in energy, infrastructure, transport, health care, low income housing schemes, industry and other sectors. The chief minister also inaugurated the ISBOP Expo-2017, which has been set up in connection with second international seminar on investment opportunities in the Punjab at Expo Center Johar Town. Provincial Ministers Sheikh Allaudin, Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Mansha Ullah Butt, members of the assembly, chief secretary and high officials were present on the occasion.

The chief minister had a round of the exhibition and visited different stalls. He took great interest in the products displayed at the stalls. It is to be noted that Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana hosted a dinner in honour of participants of 2nd international seminar on investment opportunities in Punjab at Governor's House. CM Shehbaz especially attended the function. Provincial Ministers, diplomats, Consul Generals of different countries in Lahore, members of business community, parliamentarians and foreign participants of the international seminar attended the dinner in large numbers.