Peshawar – Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi held a meeting with Tarik Ali Khan, High Commissioner of Canada to Pakistan, at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.
During the meeting, the two sides held detailed discussions on matters of mutual interest, bilateral cooperation, trade relations, and investment opportunities across a range of key sectors. Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in agriculture, mining and minerals, renewable energy, and academic and youth exchanges, while reaffirming their shared commitment to fostering stronger institutional and commercial linkages.
The Canadian High Commissioner said that the government of Canada is keen to further strengthen its partnership with the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly by expanding trade and commercial engagement. He identified the promotion of agricultural imports and exports as a priority area for bilateral cooperation and conveyed Canada’s interest in broadening collaboration to encompass mining, mineral exploration, geological surveying, and drilling activities.
Highlighting Canada’s global leadership in the extractives sector, the High Commissioner noted that Canada hosts some of the world’s largest mining conferences and one of the leading mining capital markets, creating significant opportunities for collaboration and investment. He also expressed interest in enhancing cooperation in nuclear, solar and wind energy, electricity transmission, and energy storage technologies.
The High Commissioner further said that efforts would be made to facilitate a visit by Canada’s Senior Trade Commissioner to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to engage with the province’s business community and identify new avenues for trade and investment cooperation.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi briefed the High Commissioner on the provincial government’s economic priorities and investment agenda. He said that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is pursuing a strategic policy shift from aid towards trade, investment, and sustainable economic partnerships.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa offers substantial investment opportunities across agriculture, minerals, and renewable energy. Referring to the Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal Project as a transformational initiative, he noted that upon completion, the project will bring approximately 700,000 acres of barren land under cultivation, triggering an agricultural transformation across the southern districts of the province.
He underscored that while the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has consistently met its financial commitments towards the project, timely implementation requires the federal government to fulfil its corresponding obligations. He further observed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is home to some of the world’s most distinctive, high-quality agricultural produce, offering considerable potential for value-added exports and greater integration into international markets.
Highlighting the province’s rich mineral resources, the Chief Minister said that the provincial government is prioritizing value addition and downstream processing over the export of raw materials in order to enhance exports, create employment, and stimulate industrial growth.
The Chief Minister also underscored Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s position as Pakistan’s leading province in renewable energy potential. He noted that the completion of major hydropower projects, including Mohmand, Gabral-Kalam, and Dasu, will significantly enhance the province’s energy generation capacity.
He informed the High Commissioner that the provincial government is implementing a comprehensive strategy to maximize the utilization of its hydropower resources and has established its own transmission line company to facilitate the efficient delivery of electricity. He observed that while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa generates electricity at an average cost of approximately Rs7 per unit, it is compelled to purchase the same electricity back through the national grid at more than Rs50 per unit.
In this context, he emphasized that the provincial transmission company represents a strategic investment platform that will enable the delivery of competitively priced electricity to industry, unlocking substantial gains in industrial competitiveness and positioning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a more attractive destination for investment. He noted that the initiative offers strong commercial fundamentals, predictable revenue streams, and significant long-term returns for strategic investors.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s commitment to providing a secure, predictable, and investor-friendly environment, assuring that all foreign investors would receive full facilitation, institutional support, and comprehensive protection for their investments in the province.A
