Counsel General of Germany in Karachi Hans-Joachim Kiderlen has said Karachi is safe for investment and the number of foreign companies in the city, as he estimates, will increase at an average 50 companies every year.
The consul general was speaking at a dinner hosted by the management of Lufthansa on the occasion of the launch of its flights from Karachi to Europe and North America at a local hotel on Tuesday. He said there were already 180 companies of various sizes and the addition of at least 50 new companies each year could be seen in coming years.
He dispelled the notion that Karachi was prone to crime and compared its law and order situation with the law and order situation in New York. "Karachi is difficult to understand but can you understand New York?"
He said that Karachi was comparatively a safe city and offered a lot to investors. "Crime rate is high but not very high," he added. He said it was a vibrant city humming with life, the cultural life was absorbing and business activities were showing growth.
Kiderlen said that the Pakistan's economy was expanding and had potential to grow and absorb more investment. In his view investment in Pakistan is safe and offers opportunities for expansion.
He said the coming back of Lufthansa to Pakistan after a long time was a good omen. The management of the airline was free from the German bureaucratic control. "While the German bureaucracy takes four years to take a decision the airline took only 12 months to decide to resume its flights from Pakistan. The element of efficiency could now be seen." It would provide hassle-free service, comfortable and non-stop journey from Karachi and Lahore to European destinations and North America.
Earlier, Vice President Sales and Services, Southeast Europe, Africa and middle East/Pakistan Joachim Steinbach and Peter Pollak spoke about the resumption of Lufthansa's services from Pakistan and the mutual advantages the airlines and the travel industry of Pakistan would draw from this beginning.