Italy: PM Khan approves new Pakistan Consulate General in Naples
Newswire
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan this week approved the establishment of a new Consulate General in the beautiful Italian city of Naples.
About another proposed mission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said southern Italy has approximately 25,000 Pakistani diaspora residing there, who currently have to travel 5-6 hours to reach Rome to avail consular service. Hence, the MoFA said the establishment of the consulate general in Naples, the third largest city of Italy, was proposed to facilitate the diaspora.
The PM has also approved four new diplomatic missions to target dynamic business regions by enhancing trade cooperation and investment between Pakistan and those regions. These missions would be opened in known cities of the United States of America, Germany, Turkey and Iraq, officials said.
“We (also) proposed the establishment of consulate generals in Atlanta, Munich, Najaf and Karbala. PM Imran Khan approved this proposal for establishment of a consulate in Munich and others. The Prime Minister’s House on recommendations of MoFA endorsed proposals for opening rest of the missions accordingly,” a senior MoFA official said.
The development comes months after Islamabad decided to open four diplomatic missions in West Africa, which included missions in Male, Kampala, Burkina Faso and Benin. Currently, around 114 missions of Pakistan are operating in some 87 countries.
Thousands of Pakistanis from Munich, Atlanta, Naples, Najaf and Karbala were approaching MoFA to open missions for their facilitation in these cities, officials said.
The MoFA, in response to a question asked by lawmaker James Iqbal, informed the National Assembly that Bavaria is also home to a sizeable Pakistani community numbering approximately 35,000, including students, businessmen and white-collared job holders and approximately 15,000 German nationals of Pakistani origin.
“Owing to its economic potential and the large number of Pakistani diaspora there, there is a need to establish a consulate general and the prime minister has given his in-principle approval,” MoFA told the Parliament.
