Pakistan’s newly appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Tipu Usman, has praised leading British-Pakistani entrepreneur Tariq Sheikh for his contribution to the British economy, describing the success of the latter's business as an example of the positive impact Pakistanis have made across the United Kingdom.
The high commissioner, who assumed charge in London around two weeks ago, made the remarks during a meeting with Tariq Sheikh, at the Pakistan High Commission.
Usman congratulated Sheikh on recently receiving the Freedom of the City of London, recognising his contribution to Britain’s halal meat industry, entrepreneurship, employment and community service. The high commissioner said Sheikh’s journey represented an important British-Pakistani success story and demonstrated how members of the Pakistani diaspora had contributed to the economic and social development of the United Kingdom.
He said that while negative stories involving some British-Pakistanis often received considerable attention, the enormous contribution made by successful Pakistanis across Britain was frequently overlooked. He said that the British-Pakistanis were making significant contributions in business, education, medicine, law, technology, public service and numerous other sectors, creating employment and contributing billions of pounds to the British economy.
The high commissioner said Sheikh's achievements were a source of pride for Pakistan and reflected the entrepreneurial potential of the Pakistani diaspora.
Sheikh informed the high commissioner about plans to launch projects and investments in Pakistan as part of the company's future expansion and said he looked forward to working closely with the Pakistan High Commission.
Speaking after his meeting with the high commissioner, Sheikh said he remained proud of his Pakistani roots and wanted to use the continued growth of his business to strengthen economic links between Britain and Pakistan. He said the company's next phase would involve not only expanding its retail presence across Britain but also increasing sourcing from Pakistan and developing new projects there, creating further opportunities for trade, investment and employment.
