By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE: Business leaders, representatives of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and a visiting United Kingdom delegation held a meeting in Lahore on Tuesday to explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation between Pakistan and the UK.
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The meeting, organised by Farani Taylor Solicitors at the LCCI premises, brought together prominent business representatives and members of the visiting delegation associated with the Global Fair Pay Foundation and London Tea Exchange.
The British delegation was led by Professor Sheikh Allur Rahman KCR, KGOR, OBE, Head of Delegation, Founder of the Global Fair Pay Charter and Group Chairman of London Tea Exchange.
Other prominent members included Sir Asif Bajwa KCR, KCRC, GCST, Global Fair Pay Charter Ambassador for Pakistan, Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries; Farhan Farani KCR, Co-Chair of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Global Fair Pay Charter; Mohammad Tahir Chaudhary, GFPC Head of Media and Public Relations (Pakistan); and Amin Chishti, Senior Executive at Farani Taylor Solicitors.
LCCI Senior Vice President Sardar Usman Ghani, Sheikh EC Ibrahim Sheikh, Haji Asif Sahar, EC Azmat Shah, EC Dr Shehzad Mehmood, Tahir Ch and other members of the business community also participated in the meeting.
The discussions focused on the importance of strengthening commercial relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, encouraging cross-border investment and identifying areas where businesses from both countries could develop mutually beneficial partnerships.
Pakistan and the UK have considerable potential to expand cooperation in several sectors, including textiles, agriculture, food processing, information technology, pharmaceuticals, engineering, education and financial services.
Participants also highlighted the importance of creating an environment that encourages British investors to explore opportunities in Pakistan while facilitating Pakistani businesses seeking access to international markets.
The visiting delegation’s association with the Global Fair Pay Foundation brought the issue of fair remuneration and responsible business practices into the broader discussion on economic development.
The Global Fair Pay Charter initiative advocates fair compensation and greater recognition of workers’ contributions. Its principles are particularly relevant for developing economies, where sustainable industrial growth requires a balance between business competitiveness, investment returns and workers’ welfare.
Business representatives also recognised that stronger institutional links between chambers of commerce, international organisations and private-sector stakeholders could help translate investment opportunities into practical commercial partnerships.
For Pakistan, closer engagement with British businesses could offer opportunities to attract foreign investment, improve access to international markets, encourage technology transfer and strengthen the country’s export-oriented industries.
The United Kingdom remains an important economic partner for Pakistan, with considerable scope for expanding bilateral commercial engagement. Greater business-to-business interaction, investment facilitation and improved market access could help Pakistani exporters explore additional opportunities in the British market.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for members of the Lahore business community to interact with the visiting delegation and explore avenues for future cooperation.
Participants stressed the importance of sustained engagement between Pakistani and British business leaders to promote investment, encourage entrepreneurship and develop stronger economic linkages.
The gathering concluded with an emphasis on continued cooperation and the need to build meaningful partnerships that could contribute to economic growth, business development and improved commercial relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
