By Amena Bakr
DUBAI, April 29 (Reuters) - Pakistan's investment minister plans a farmland sale road show across the Gulf region to inform potential investors of the terms they must meet, he said on Wednesday.
Pakistan has offered to sell or lease 1 million acres (404,700 hectares) of farmland to foreign investors looking to secure food supplies to their countries.
"We will be introducing our policies and regulations to both the private and the public sectors in the Gulf regions so they would know what to expect when they decide invest in Pakistan," the minister, Waqar Ahmed Khan, said.
The road show will start in the United Arab Emirate on May 10 and move to Qatar, Bahrain and other Gulf Arab states.
"There will be a number of ministers going on this trip, including the minister of housing to also promote investment in this sector," Khan told Reuters by telephone.
Gulf Arab countries, mainly reliant on food imports, have been seeking farmland in developing nations to secure supplies and have expressed interest in Pakistan's offer, he said.
Earlier this month, Khan said the ministry would guarantee that all equipment imported for foreign farmland projects would be exempted from levies.
Pakistan would also install a 100,000-strong security force to ensure a stable environment for investment in farmlands in four provinces of the country.
Violence has surged in Pakistan, especially in the northwest, where the spread of Taliban influence has heightened security concerns.
The ministry, formed in October to promote foreign investment in Pakistan, will also provide a legal framework to protect the rights of investors. (Editing by Anthony Barker)