Prime Minister Imran Khan said that while the first year since his government came into power was spent in stabilising the country due to the huge current account deficit, this year he anticipates Pakistan's economy to grow.
Speaking at the Pakistan Strategy Dialogue at Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, the PM said the first conflict, after the Soviets left Afghanistan, costed Pakistan heavily. He further said that then there was the war on terror which left 70,000 people dead. "Pakistan was considered one of the most dangerous places in the world," the PM added.
PM Khan said that when he assumed office, their government decided to only partner with people in peace. He said because of this, the government has now disarmed the legacy of the 80s, where the country was left with militant groups still operating.
He continued that after this, the first benefit Pakistan saw was in the field of tourism. "Top travelling bodies have named Pakistan as a top travelling destination. We believe that tourism has the potential to earn a lot of foreign exchange for Pakistan," he added.
While speaking about investment, the PM said the government is actively incentivising industries and investment and have tried to remove all the hurdles in the way of investors.
"This year, Pakistan was one of the countries that has climbed 20 places in ease of doing business. Investment has grown by 200 percent. The whole idea is to incentivise businesses and industries. Change the mindset that profit making is a bad thing," he said.