Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has said that the CPEC has enhanced the strategic importance of KP. Talking to the ambassador from the UAE who called on him at the CM house Peshawar, he said that the unique project will lead to the development of the entire belt and the integration of the region, adding that Chinese investment is unparalleled. However, he also said that he looks forward to Islamic countries investing in the region as well.
The Chief Minister said that the provincial government has offered investment opportunities whose feasibility has already been finalised and he hopes that they will benefit the country and neighbouring states. He said that a skilled labour force is being prepared and that KP will soon provide required manpower to the UAE. He added that he wanted a stronger trade and cultural relations with Islamic countries.
The chief minister told the ambassador that the province had initiated all arrangements for investment in the backdrop of the CPEC. He said that the province had enormous investment opportunities in energy, tourism, health, education, agriculture and other sectors. He said that situation in the province was favourable for investment as a pro-investment atmosphere had emerged due to which local and international investors were preferring the province for investment. The Chief Minister said that the provincial government had evolved a transparent system in the province and is providing attractive incentives for investors.
He said that under the new industrial policy, besides lucrative investment, a one-window operation facility had been provided in the province while an autonomous Economic Zone Development and Management Company had been established for the purpose. “We have abolished the NOC condition for investment in the province and initiated foolproof arrangements for the provision of security of international investors. He said that the provincial government had planned all this keeping the future of the region in mind, knowing that it will soon be a hub for trade and economic activity in the near future.
He wished that investments from Muslim countries would further cement friendly relations and provide an opportunity to understand our mutual problems and meet those challenges. The Chief Minister deplored that no one had thought about the importance of the region and the future of the country in the past. He said that the government have fixed its targets for development in the light of our progressive vision and had also initiated steps to achieve these targets.
The Ambassador of the UAE took a keen interest in tourism, industries, energy and other sectors of the province. He said that the two brother Islamic countries had a 50-year long time-tested relationship. He said that people of both the countries respect each other and that he wanted to give new dimensions to the already friendly relations. The ambassador said that Shaikh Zaid had special love for the people of Pakistan and that the Shaikh Zaid Islamic Center was contributing to the promotion of Islamic culture. He termed his visit to Peshawar very useful and said that the UAE will hopefully play an important role in the development of the province.
