Areas of cooperation discussed with UNDP

PESHAWAR: The participants of a meeting here on Monday discussed mutual areas of cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for future schemes.

A UNDP Mission headed by. Francisco Santos, Regional Advisor, Livelihoods, Economic Recovery & Displacement, UNDP Asia Pacific and Tanya Rzehak, Programme Manager, UNDP Pakistan, called on Chief Executive Officer KP-Board of Investment and Trade, Dr Hassan Daud Butt to deliberate on Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran regional connectivity for cross-border stabilization, human development, and economic cooperation.

A press release said the main objective of the mission is to support the UNDP country offices in the three countries for scoping the planned research and programming initiatives by engaging with key stakeholders (federal and provincial governments, civil society, think-tanks, and communities) to understand their needs, priorities, and aspirations. The visit was in connection with this agenda.

The CEO gave a presentation on cross-border trade and transit trade initiatives, key socio-economic development and doing business initiatives undertaken by the government. He highlighted that the first-ever trade and commerce strategy of the province has also been evolved and approved by the provincial cabinet.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial spokesman Member Provincial Assembly Zahir Shah Toru has said that the Awami National Party (ANP) has lost the confidence of the people. Talking to reporters here on Monday, he said the ANP KP president Aimal Wali Khan should accept his party’s defeat in the Swat by-election, instead of accusing others for that.Toru said the ANP candidate in the Swat by-election had the support of 14 political parties but the politically conscious people of Swat rejected them.