LAHORE, (DNA) – London Mayor Sadiq Khan arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday for a three-day official visit.

He is accompanied by a 16-member delegation of UK business leaders and reached Lahore through Wagah Border. Lahore Mayor Colonel (retd) Mubashir received the delegation and gave them a warm welcome at the border.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed him on twitter. Khan will later visit Badshahi mosque whereas a dinner will also be arranged in his honour.

The London Mayor also held a meeting with Punjab CM at his office in Model Town. British High Commissioner to Pakistan Tom Drew was also present on the occassion. Both the leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, promotion of bilateral relations and increasing cooperation in various fields.

This is the first visit of mayor of London to Pakistan and India which is the part of his LondonIsOpen campaign. He begun his six-day trade mission to the neighbouring countries by visiting India on December 3 where he stopover in Mumbai, Delhi and Amritsar and met with politicians and celebrities.

Sadiq Khan is the first London’s mayor to visit both India and Pakistan to promote business and cultural ties between the two countries and the capital.

“As someone whose grandparents were born in India, and whose parents moved to London from Pakistan, I feel a deep affinity for the subcontinent,” the Mayor said.

“But what excites me most about this trip is that I know it can deliver real benefits for Londoners. Benefits in terms of business and trade, jobs and investment, and in terms of cultural and technological exchange.”

High on the agenda will be spreading the message that London is open to those looking to work, visit or study following the EU referendum. Students from India contribute £130m a year to the capital’s economy.

“I am passionate about showing that my city will always be open to engaging with partners from around the world,” the Mayor said.

Indian companies invest more in the UK than in the rest of Europe combined, employing some 110,000 people in the country, while bilateral trade between the UK and Pakistan is valued at £2 billion.