Expo to help attract investors: CM aide

PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Trade and Industries Abdul Karim Khan on Friday said that participation in the Dubai Expo would help attract investors to the vast investment opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and boost the economy of the province.

He was speaking to the investors during a conference on the investment opportunities in the Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Dubai Expo, said a communique received here.

He said that it was a good omen to showcase the tourism potential, including ITZs, establishment of water sports theme park at Hund, Swabi, and other projects for investment at the mega exhibition.

The special assistant said that the KP was the only province where Swat Expressway was built under public-private partnership and now it was being extended to other cities to promote trade, industries and economy in the area.

He said the provincial government had introduced the first Special Economic Zones in Rashakai and elsewhere in the province and now the investors were coming to invest in the industries being established there.

“Marble City in Mohmand, Salt City in Karak, Mineral City in Buner have been established while Granite and Mineral City are being set up in Mansehra,” Abdul Karim Khan said.

A detailed briefing was given on the ITZs feasibility reports conducted by the Malaysian firm under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) being executed by the World Bank.

The Malaysian firm also briefed the investors on ITZs investment opportunities in Thandiani in Abbottabad, Ganol in Mansehra, Mankial in Swat, Water Sports Theme Park in Hund, Swabi, Madaklasht in Chitral and others. The investors evinced keen interest to invest in projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tourism sector. The organisers showcased a number of projects to the investors in the investment conferences in the tourism sector.

Four Letters of Intent for investment were signed while a number of international and Dubai-based investors expressed willingness to invest in various projects of KP tourism sector.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan will attend the mega conference on investment opportunities in tourism and other sectors being held tomorrow.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is displaying tourist spots, cultural heritage sites, indigenous Kalash culture, historic Gandhara Civilization, sites for adventure tourism in northern and southern parts and a lot of more to the tourists and investors to visit these marvelous places and invest in the sector.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is participating in the Dubai Expo as part of the visions of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to lure more tourists and investors to the province.

KP Secretary for Sports, Tourism, Archaeology, Culture, Museums and Youth Affairs Amir Sultan Tareen, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) Director General Kamran Ahmad Afridi, DG Pakistan Trade Development Authority Rizwan Tariq, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BOIT) Chief Executive Officer Hassan Daud Butt and others were also present on the occasion.