Call to unlock K-P’s natural riches

Think tank explores solutions for province’s fiscal challenges

The National Think Tank convened under the chairmanship of former secretary home & tribal affairs Dr Syed Akhtar Ali Shah in Peshawar. The think tank owes its birth to a desire to highlight basic governance issues, analyse them and come up with possible solutions, said Shah in his introductory remarks.

Former advisor to chief minister on finance and power Himayat Ullah Khan addressed the gathering with a presentation on natural resources and economic crisis of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and its solution.

He emphasised the fact that K-P has suffered a series of external and internal shocks over the last few decades including the fallout from over three decades of the Afghan conflict, spillover of militancy from ex-Fata which shattered the social fabric of the province and led to internal displacement of three million people.

Added to this was the damage inflicted by the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 unprecedented floods. All the events had severe economic and social implications for the province.

Moreover, the pace of economic development especially industrialisation has remained stagnant primarily due to inherent locational disadvantage.

To deal with these unwholesome scenarios, a focused and coordinated approach, based on the framework of the 1973 Constitution, is required from the political leadership and policy experts, academia, intellectuals and youth of the province.

Attendees at the meeting included former President UET Alumni Association Engr Gul Bahadar Khan, Associate Professor IMSiences Dr Muhammad Nawaz, UoP Assistant Professor Political Science Dr Amir Raza, ex-SE Irrigation Dept Engr Sher Aman, ex-SE WAPDA Engr Arif Khan, ex-professor Abdul Wali Khan University Dr Jehan Zeb Khalil and University of Swabi ex-VC Prof Dr Noor Jahan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2023.