Chinese billionaire and founder of the Alibaba Group, Jack Ma, has been spotted in Pakistan, according to the Express Tribune newspaper. The news was confirmed by the former Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), Muhammad Azfar Ahsan. He further stated that Ma arrived in Lahore on June 29 and stayed for 23 hours. 

Jack Ma during the visit, avoided interactions with government officials and the media. He resided at a private location and left on June 30 via a private jet registered under the name VP-CMA, owned by Jet Aviation, reported the Express Tribune.

The purpose of the billionaire’s visit still remains confidential at this point but there is hope for positive outcome, according to Ahsan. Ma was accompanied by a delegation of seven businessmen, consisting of five Chinese nationals, one Danish individual, and one US citizen. They arrived in Pakistan from Nepal via a chartered flight from Hong Kong’s business aviation sector.

There have been various speculations on social media about Ma and his team exploring business opportunities in Pakistan, including visits to trade centres and meetings with prominent businessmen and officials from various chambers of commerce. However, there has been no confirmation regarding any specific business deals or meetings.

Ahsan in a tweet clarified that Ma’s visit was strictly for personal purposes. Interestingly, even the Chinese embassy was unaware of the details of Ma’s visit and engagements in the country, he said.

Speaking to the Express Tribune, P@SHA, Chairman, Zohaib Khan remarked, “Although it was a personal visit, it helped enhance Pakistan’s reputation from a tourism standpoint.” Khan expressed the view that Pakistani authorities should have taken the opportunity to arrange a meeting with Ma and gain insights from his seasoned experience in the IT world. He said even a statement from Ma regarding Pakistan’s IT sector would have significant impact.

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