Alibaba Group cofounder Jack Ma’s visit to Pakistan creates stir among observers: Report

Chinese billionaire and Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma's unexpected visit to Pakistan has created a stir among observers. The Express Tribune reports confirmed that Ma arrived in Lahore on June 29 and stayed there for around a day. 

During his visit, Jack Ma avoided interactions with government officials and media persons. He resided at a private location and left on June 30 via a private jet registered under the name of VP-CMA which is owned by Jet Aviation. 

Former Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), Muhammad Azfar Ahsan informed that the purpose of Ma's visit remains confidential at this point and there is hope that it will yield positive outcomes for Pakistan in the days to come, ANI reported, citing The Express Tribune. 

The Chinese billionaire was accompanied by a delegation of seven businessmen consisting of five Chinese nationals, one Danish, and one US citizen. They arrived in Pakistan from Nepal via a chartered flight from Hong Kong's business aviation sector.

Speculations surfaced on social media about Jack Ma and his team exploring business opportunities in Pakistan, including visits to trade centers and meetings with prominent businessmen and officials from various chambers of commerce. 

However, there has been no official confirmation about the meetings and business deals yet. 

In a tweet, Ahsan clarified that Jack Ma's visit to Pakistan 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.

“Although it was a personal visit, it helped enhance Pakistan's reputation from a tourism standpoint,” said P@SHA, Chairman, Zohaib Khan while expressing 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 a significant impact. 

(With ANI inputs)