DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi and Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Tariq Ali Khan on Wednesday agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, mining and renewable energy during a meeting at KP House in Islamabad, said a statement issued from from CM Secretariat Peshawar.
The statement said Sohail Afridi and Canadian High Commissioner discussed bilateral cooperation, trade relations and investment opportunities in key sectors during the meeting.
The two sides agreed to enhance collaboration in agriculture, mining and minerals, renewable energy, and academic and youth exchanges while strengthening institutional and commercial ties.
The Canadian high commissioner said his government was keen to expand trade and commercial engagement with KP, identifying agricultural imports and exports as a priority area for cooperation.
He also expressed Canada’s interest in mining, mineral exploration, geological surveys and drilling, saying the country’s expertise and leadership in the mining sector offered significant opportunities for collaboration and investment.
The envoy further showed interest in cooperation in nuclear, solar and wind energy, electricity transmission and energy storage, adding that efforts would be made to facilitate a visit by Canada’s senior trade commissioner to the province to explore business and investment opportunities.
Briefing the envoy on the provincial government’s economic agenda, Mr Afridi said the province was pursuing a policy of shifting from aid to trade and investment-driven economic growth.
He said the province offered substantial investment opportunities in agriculture, minerals and renewable energy. Referring to the Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal project, he said its completion would bring around 700,000 acres of barren land under cultivation and transform agriculture in the southern districts.
He added that while the provincial government had fulfilled its financial commitments, timely completion of the project required the federal government to meet its obligations.
The chief minister said the province possessed high-quality agricultural produce with considerable export potential and that the government was focusing on value addition in the minerals sector instead of exporting raw materials to promote industrialisation, exports and employment.
He also highlighted KP’s renewable energy potential, saying hydropower projects, including Mohmand, Gabral-Kalam and Dasu, would significantly increase electricity generation capacity.
Mr Afridi said the provincial government had established its own transmission line company to deliver low-cost electricity to industries. He noted that although the province generated electricity at around Rs7 per unit, it had to purchase the same electricity from the national grid at more than Rs50 per unit.
He said the transmission company would improve industrial competitiveness and create attractive investment opportunities. The chief minister assured the Canadian envoy that the provincial government would provide a secure, investor-friendly environment along with full facilitation and protection to foreign investors.
