CPEC is game changer for Pakistan’s future: Kundi

PESHAWAR
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a transformative project that holds the key to Pakistan’s economic growth, regional stability, and public prosperity.
Speaking at the International CPEC Seminar held at the Governor House Peshawar, the Governor emphasized that CPEC is vital for reshaping Pakistan’s destiny and fostering national development.
The event was organized by Pak-China Window and attended by a distinguished group including Iranian Consul General in Peshawar Ali Banafsha Khwa, former ambassadors Naghmana Hashmi and Sohail Mahmood, CPNE provincial president Tahir Farooq, educationist Dr. Khalid Khan, business leaders, investors, media representatives, and students.
Various speakers including Tahir Farooq, Zahid Latif, Dr. Khalid Khan, and others shed light on the importance of CPEC and expectations tied to its second phase. Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed also addressed the seminar via a video message, reiterating CPEC’s strategic significance for Pakistan, especially for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Governor Kundi pointed out that while the Havelian-Dera Ismail Khan road is the only completed project in KP under CPEC so far, progress on connecting Balochistan to DI. Khan in the second phase remains sluggish.
He stressed the need for KP to leverage more benefits from CPEC and urged the provincial government to actively engage with the federal government.
“Like other provinces, KP should ensure its representatives are part of official visits to China to secure long-term projects for the province,” he added.
The Governor also lauded former President Asif Ali Zardari’s pivotal role in initiating CPEC through his diplomatic outreach to China.
He welcomed the Rashakai Economic Zone but voiced concerns about the feasibility of the Daraban Economic Zone, saying that attracting investment to that area may be challenging.
Addressing broader security issues, Governor Kundi remarked that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has borne the brunt of terrorism, and that weapons left behind in Afghanistan are now being used against Pakistan.
“Terrorism in Pakistan is being orchestrated from Afghan soil. While we fought alongside the international community against terrorism, we were ultimately left to face the consequences alone,” he said.
He urged for unity, strategic planning, and self-reliance to overcome the country’s challenges.
The Governor praised the organizers, particularly Amjad Aziz Malik, for arranging the seminar and reiterated that the doors of the Governor House are always open for events that contribute to the province’s progress. The event concluded with Governor Kundi distributing shields to the seminar’s speakers.