The British Opposition party leader David Cameron has praised Pakistan's economy growth and described its expansion as only second to China. He was speaking at a gala dinner, hosted by the Conservative Party to mark the 60th independence anniversary of Pakistan and India here on Tuesday evening.
The event attended by about 500 guests invited by the Conservative Party included members of the Pakistani and Indian community in the UK. Among prominent Pakistani or Kashmiri origin Conservatives, who were present was one of the vice-chairs of the party, Sayeeda Warsi, Mahboob Bhatti, Councillor from High Wycombe and Naweed Khan, deputy head of Cities and Diversity. The acting Indian High Commissioner also attended the independence ball.
Cameron said he planned to visit Pakistan soon and also mentioned the South Asian country's focus on the higher education while noting that Pakistan was planning to establish six engineering and three technology universities to equip a new generation with the skills necessary to compete in the globalised world.
The Tory Party leader said that as the world's centre of gravity was moving from Europe and the Atlantic to the south and the east, the time was right for Britain to build a special relationship with the countries of the Asian subcontinent.
Cameron also urged renewed efforts to build more competitive economies to meet the challenge of globalisation. He called for a new special relationship between Britain and Pakistan for the 21st century.
Referring to the Asian community living in Britain, he said British Asians were thriving and making a contribution in all walks of life. In London alone, there are over 14,000 businesses owned by those of Pakistani or Indian origin.
He said Britain's relations with both Pakistan and India were based on historical, economic cultural and family ties. Cameron stressed the need for closer cooperation to confront common challenges, including terrorism, which had to be defeated, not appeased.
But he urged a serious, long-term approach to the challenge of terrorism, not just a security response. The Tory leader made an impassioned plea to build what he called a "positive society" in Britain, which involved building a responsible society.
The British Opposition leader paid rich tributes to Pakistan-UK relationship and also praised the role of High Commissioner Dr Maleeha Lodhi, describing her as among the most talented diplomats in London.
In her message on the occasion, Dr Maleeha Lodhi said that Pakistan valued its growing strategic ties with the UK, which were broad-based and anchored in a shared vision of peace and prosperity for the 21st century. Close to a million British-Pakistanis/Kashmiris living in the UK serve as a living bridge between the two countries.
The leader of the Conservative Party pledged in his address to adopt more ethnic minority candidates to represent his party at all levels. He said he was delighted that the Conservative Party was already doing that, citing as examples Sayeeda Warsi and Syed Kamell.
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