PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday claimed that the federal government had agreed with his proposal to hold negotiations with Afghanistan.
According to an official handout, he said this while talking to a delegation from the 26th National Security and War Course under the National Defence University. The delegation visited the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar where they met Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
They were briefed on provincial government affairs, including administration, financial management, development programmes, and law and order.
Answering a question on security, the chief minister said instability in Afghanistan continued to impact law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Our armed forces, police, and people have made enormous sacrifices to eliminate terrorism. We salute the martyrs who laid down their lives for peace. For a sustainable solution, negotiations with Afghanistan are necessary, and it is encouraging that the federal government has agreed with my proposal,” he said.
On Afghan refugees, Gandapur said KP hosted them for decades, but their repatriation was the federal government’s policy. However, he emphasized that this process should be carried out with dignity.
Acting IGP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with officials from the Planning and Development and Finance Departments were present on this occasion.
Speaking to the delegation, the chief minister said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was rich in resources, but past governments failed to ensure their effective utilization.
“When we assumed office, the province faced financial and security challenges. From day one, we adopted a model of economic self-reliance and invested in sectors with strong potential,” he remarked.
Gandapur said through improved fiscal discipline, the government generated billions of rupees in additional revenue over the last 19 months. Highlighting KP’s immense hydropower potential, he said the government was working to harness this energy for industrial development.
He added that a dedicated provincial transmission line was being laid to supply affordable electricity to industries, thereby creating new job opportunities.
He said the government was focusing on utilizing the province’s oil and gas reserves for industrial growth.
On tourism, the chief minister said the sector had vast potential to increase provincial revenue, noting that work was underway to develop integrated tourism zones of international standards.
For rural employment, the government was prioritizing livestock and agriculture, while for the first time, a Mountain Agriculture Policy was introduced to boost farming in hilly regions, he further said.
Gandapur stressed that good governance, improved service delivery, reforms, and transparency remain top priorities. To this end, information and communication technology was being utilized, with digitalization of 29 sectors already completed and more underway.
Regarding the merged districts, the chief minister noted that promises made at the time of their merger with KP had not been fulfilled.
He stressed the need for a new NFC Award to ensure the province receives its due share for these districts.
Highlighting public welfare initiatives, Gandapur said that 100 percent of the province’s population was provided with Sehat Card health insurance for free medical treatment. Interest-free loans were being given to help people build homes, while a Rs14 billion programme was launched to support youth with business startups and technical training.