KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that the provincial government has prepared a comprehensive strategy for production of energy from hydel potentials and reserves of oil and gas to arrest the prevailing energy crisis in the province and country.
He was talking to the visiting German Minister for trade and economics and head of Pakistan Afghanistan Mission, Dr Stephen Oswald, who called on him here in office in CM Secretariat on Tuesday and discussed matters of bilateral interest. Those present on the occasion were included Parliamentary Secretary for Planning & Development, Mian Khaliq-ur-Rehman, Additional Chief Secretary, Khalid Pervez, Principal Secretary to CM, Mohammad Ashfaq Khan, Secretary P&D and chairman, CM Complaints Cell, Haji Dilroz Khan. The chief minister said that for the implementation of the energy strategy, the provincial government would welcome foreign investment and technical assistance and will not only encourage the interested foreign investors, but besides provision of all required facilities would also guarantee their security.
The chief minister said that good governance, supremacy of law and generation of employment opportunities are their important targets. He said that due to terrorism and other political and economic difficulties for last several decades had left the province far behind in industrial development.
He said that standard of education is not up to mark and dropout ratio from schools is 82 per cent. Similarly, he said that several other sectors were also not paid attention in past. He said that their government has started the process of change and improvement in the system from making formal legislation.
The chief minister said that now security situation has been improved and foreign investors and tourists are enjoying complete protection. The people of the province in general and youth in particular are hospitable and hard workers, which give honour to their foreign guests.
Speaking on the occasion, the German minister while appreciating the agenda of the government for bringing transparency in official affairs, solid steps against corruption and reforms said that that progress and implementation on the development indicators given by the provincial government for foreign investment were encouraging and that is the reason that the government of Germany and their investors are ready for making investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has huge investment opportunities in hydel and alternative energy resources and German investors are keen to take benefits of these potentials. Talking about measures taken for bringing improvement in security situation, the chief minister said that beside abolition of political interference and other reforms have also been for bringing improvement in the performance of police. He said that for first time in the history separate effective departments of intelligence and investigation have been established in the province.
The chief minister said that long stay of Afghan refugees and displacement of people from tribal areas including North Waziristan has overburden the province and its economy had badly affected as the provincial government is providing additional food, health, education, residential and other civic facilities to millions of people.