ISLAMABAD: Monitoring Desk – US businessman and Texas hedge fund manager Gentry Beach, the head of a delegation of US billionaire investors, has expressed his interest in investing billions of dollars in Pakistan. He also recalled that Richard Grenell had personally informed him that he was misled by the promotion of fake videos online about Imran Khan, the founder of PTI, using artificial intelligence.
During a meeting with prominent journalists in Islamabad, Beach shared his enthusiasm about visiting Pakistan and praised the intelligence and hard work of the Pakistani people, emphasising the historical ties between the US and Pakistan.
“America cares about Pakistan. And I believe that together we can be very, very strong,” Beach said. “And we need Pakistan. You are our front face in this entire region, very important.”
Beach arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday leading a high-level delegation of American investors for a two-day visit to the country. Speaking to reporters, the American businessman criticized the manner Biden pulled American troops out of Pakistan, urging Islamabad to “disregard” the way the previous American administration treated it.
Beach highlighted the ongoing global shift towards a new era of peace and development and pointed out that efforts had been made in the US to create misconceptions about Pakistan.
He noted that in the past, the American public had not been shown the true image of Pakistan, especially in light of the way the US withdrew from Afghanistan under the Biden administration.
The head of the investor delegation also mentioned that former US President Donald Trump believed in economic diplomacy.
Beach revealed that the American investors’ delegation had come to Pakistan to explore investment opportunities in various sectors, including artificial intelligence, real estate, and minerals. He added that the US was keen to invest billions of dollars in Pakistan.
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Beach acknowledged that Pakistan’s current leadership was fully aligned with the new US administration, and he had met some of the world’s finest people during his visit to Pakistan.
He further emphasised that Richard Grenell fully supports Pakistan’s justice system and praised President Trump for being a hardworking and remarkable leader. Beach reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Trump’s economic diplomacy agenda and expressed satisfaction with his meetings with Pakistani leadership.
Gentry Beach, believed to be close to American President Donald Trump, referred to Pakistan as Washington’s “front face” in the region on Wednesday, saying the future was bright for bilateral ties and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Ties between Pakistan and US, once close allies during the Cold War era and after the September 11, 2001 attacks, remained strained during former president Joe Biden’s presidency.
Ties recently suffered after US officials criticized Pakistan for not sufficiently supporting their military efforts against the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks. Islamabad denies sheltering Taliban fighters and helping them regain control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
During Biden’s presidency, Washington also grew close to Islamabad’s arch-rival New Delhi in its bid to counter China’s growing influence in Asia. India is an important member of the “Quad,” a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the US which experts widely believe aims to counter China.
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The American investor said he believed the administrations in both Pakistan and the US would work together to make “a good business environment” between the two countries.
“And Pakistan has something that America needs, and America has something that Pakistan needs,” Beach said. “That’s a wonderful situation for us to both be in.”
Beach said his delegation was interested in investing in Pakistan’s real estate, energy and minerals sectors. He cited Pakistan’s large reserves of gold, platinum and other precious metals. Pakistani officials estimate $6 trillion worth of natural deposits in the country.
He also said the delegation would bring in a team of experts to evaluate Pakistan’s “underappreciated” oil and gas sector, praising the country’s existing gas infrastructure.
Despite Pakistan’s challenging investment climate, the US is one of its largest sources of FDI. US companies have profitable operations across a range of sectors, notably franchise operations, fast-moving consumer goods, agribusiness, and financial services.Other sectors attracting US interest include ICT, renewable energy and health care services.
