Muzammil vowsto bring private investment in KP

Ali Sheikh

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam has assured that he would try his best to release the annual grant of Peshawar Press Club and will also suggest the government to enhance this grant in the next fiscal budget.

Addressing as a chief guest during the ongoing Peshawar Press Club Ramazan Sports Gala, Muzammil Aslam appreciated the role of media especially in KP and said that he would raise issues of KP in the national media along with the local media.

Highlighting the ordeal faced by tourists, who often resort to routing through Islamabad before embarking on their journeys to KP, the minister stressed that facilitating direct access to the region is not only a logistical necessity but also a fundamental right of the people of KP.

“It is strange that KP is not connected with rest of the country,” he said while highlighting lack of flights from Karachi and Lahore to Peshawar. “Tourists who want to travel to Kaghan, Naran, Swat and other such places usually go to Islamabad first from where they plan their tour through private tourism companies,” Muzammil said while adding that this should be done from Peshawar not Islamabad and for this I would look towards the private sector.

Emphasizing the disconnect between Peshawar and the rest of the country, the minister lamented the limited air connectivity, the Finance Adviser said that this glaring disparity not only hampers economic development but also inhibits seamless interaction between KP and other provinces.

Moreover, he drew attention to the pivotal role of the private sector in driving development, citing the remarkable 95% contribution to Sindh’s development by private entities. Encouraging private sector engagement in KP, the minister urged businesses to step forward and leverage the vast opportunities for investment and growth in the region.

Muzammil reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering inclusive development and connectivity in KP, calling upon all stakeholders to collaborate in harnessing the region’s potential for the collective prosperity of the nation.

Earlier, President Peshawar Press Club Arshad Aziz Malik welcomed the Finance Adviser of the KP government and informed him about the working of PPC.