'Pro-poor growth necessary to improve standard of life'

The macroeconomic stability, achieved after great efforts, should be translated into ensuring a pro-poor growth to improve standard of life of the common man, said Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK Dr Maleeha Lodhi here late Friday.
Overseas Pakistanis can play a role in alleviation of poverty by promoting trade and an investment in the country of their origin, she told a dinner hosted in her honour by the East London Ethnic Business Association at a local hotel here late Friday.
It was attended among others, by British State Minister Energy and E-Commerce Stephen Timms, vice-president of UK Pakistan Overseas Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tariq Chaudhry, chairman of Newham Chambers of Commerce Sami Mian, businessman Chaudhry Mehboob and a well-know singer of pop music Shehzad Rai.
Maleeha said overseas Pakistanis could emulate the Chinese who changed fate of their country by playing a role in its development. She urged them to share their prosperity with their compatriots back home by helping various NGO's in the field for promoting education and health services like the "Zinghi Trust" being run by pop singer Shezad Rai to educate the children of the families mired in poverty.
It was an individual and collective obligation to make an effort, no matter how small it might look as it would surely make the difference. She said whenever they felt their country or faith was being mischaracterised they should act to remove the misperceptions by following action oriented approach instead of being passive.
She stressed the women to play their role in the progress of their country because no nation could progress unless women worked should to shoulder with men.
Pakistan had exceeded its set target of 5.8 percent by achieving over 6 percent growth rate. Its exports have touched the record level, its Foreign Exchange Reserves has reached unprecedented level, inflation is down to 4 percent which all are indicators of confidence in the country's economy.
But she cautioned against being complacent over the economic achievements realised as a result economic reforms introduced during last four years because the real challenge was to take these benefits to the neglected sectors of the economy.