Maleeha for reversing brain drain into a brain gain

Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK Dr Maleeha Lodhi has said one of her tasks is to reverse the brain drain into a brain gain.
She was addressing members of British Councillors of Pakistani origin at the High Commission as part of her outreach to overseas community across Britain to engage it to help improve country's image and spur investment back home.
Those present on the occasion were Deputy Mayor of Kensington Chelesea Mushtaq Lashari, Councillors Qurban Hussain, Mohammad Yasin, Mohammad Riaz Butt, Mohammad Farooq, Abid Hussain, Asif Iqbal, Salim Siddique and Jamil Ahmed Tubassam.
Maleeha urged them to mount concerted efforts to improve the image of the country of their origin and stand up to convey the true message of their faith which was necessary to remove misperceptions in British society.
Overseas Pakistanis who are high achievers in many fields in the UK can help in changing the image of Pakistan. She urged them to interact with British society and define themselves to counter those who were misrepresenting the Muslim community as a whole.
Maleeha briefed them on the efforts being made to involve the second and third generation of overseas Pakistanis not only to strengthen their bond with the country but also harness their potential to play their role in removing misplaced notions about Pakistan and the Muslims.
She referred to her many meetings with youth in an endeavour to reconnect with the country of their parents origin.
She told them that a partnership between the community and the High Commission was needed to face the current challenges being faced by them and Pakistan.
She told them she was working to promote trade and investment relations between the UK and Pakistan a Britain, she said was the 4th largest trading partner of Islamabad and at present also the biggest foreign investor there.
The councillors on the occasion apprised her of the complaints the overseas Pakistanis had to face especially harsh attitude, at the hands of airport authorities, on their arrival in Pakistan.
They also suggested opening of more Pakistani banks branches in the UK to facilitate their remittances.
They appreciated the surgeries begun by the High Commission to provide consular and passport and visa services to the areas where overseas Pakistanis were concentrated throughout the UK. Some of them suggested these he held every three months.
They assured Dr Maleeha of their full support in her efforts to improve the image of the country and attract foreign investment to Pakistan.