JEDDAH, 24 August 2003 — Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has urged expatriate Pakistanis to invest in Pakistan as this is the key to poverty alleviation and economic strength of the country.

He made the remarks while addressing Pakistani expatriates here at the residence of the consul general of Pakistan on Friday.

“Do invest in Pakistan, in your own home and you will definitely get the return,” Jamali was quoted by a consulate release as telling the gathering. He assured the expatriate Pakistanis that their investment would be perfectly safe. The government, he said, will provide them all the necessary facilities, as they are doing a service to the nation.

He talked about Pakistan’s strong economic comeback and underscored the expatriate community’s role in revitalizing the economy through remittances. He said the volume of remittances in the past eight months have almost doubled to $5.31 billion from $2.87 billion in the corresponding period last year.

“We are very grateful to you as your money helps us fight poverty, hunger and disease,” he said.

The prime minister said that the one million strong Pakistani community is a force to be reckoned with. He urged them to stand as one and work toward building a positive and progressive image of Pakistan.

He said the community should not get involved in party politics and should focus all their energies on building an honorable and dignified image of the country.

“You are the ambassadors of Pakistan and have to exhibit an attitude which reflects this responsibility,” he added.

Jamali also had a question-answer session with the members of the community. He said he has come with a team of ministers to meet them, to find out about their problems and come up with workable solutions.

About the utilization of the foreign exchange reserves, Jamali said: “The country is passing through a crucial phase and there is need to take steps cautiously.”

He said Pakistan had to keep some funds to meet any contingency owing to threats from the country’s eastern and western fronts.