Daily Times

The Executive Committee of Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) have appointed Mariam Iqbal and Haji Iftikhar Ahmed as Vice Chairmen of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Muhammad Atta ur Rehman Yousafzai as Secretary General for KP chapter besides Akbar Khan as PBF President Swat. The official notification in this regard has been issued.

The newly appointed PBF officials have said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is distinguished by its immense natural potential. Yet like other provinces, it currently faces significant challenges across economic, social, security, and political domains.

“To attract investment in the current charged environment, the KP government must build sector-specific institutional expertise, as organisational support for sector-specific engagement is limited”.

Vice Chairperson, Mariam Iqbal said despite these challenges, long-term strategic thinking is vital to shaping policies that meet the people’s expectations amid the day’s adversities, including declining purchasing power. This approach is essential for fostering political order in an era characterised by empowered individuals, politicised bureaucracy, and persistent crises.

She said with a population exceeding 41 million, where 50% are youth and nearly five million are out-of-school children, the current economic and political climate presents a unique opportunity to invest in meaningful and transformative change.

PBF Vice Chairman, Iftikhar Ahmad said in the current environment overwhelmed with rival politics, the government must break free from the short-term thinking that has hindered our economy for decades and implement policies that address the significant challenge of achieving lasting prosperity, as even in the bleakest circumstances, there will always be a requirement to improve welfare and security.

He said Demographic diversity exacerbates issues like unemployment, environmental degradation, reduction in investor confidence, and social inequalities, making it crucial for the government to adopt comprehensive strategies to address these multifaceted challenges, including a few urban areas capable of providing a workforce to support multiple major industries.

Secretary General KP, Muhammad Atta ur Rehman Yousafzai said at this pivotal moment, the KP government must adopt a proactive approach to assess vulnerabilities and implement robust risk mitigation measures. The conventional formula for achieving prosperity relies on the pursuit of inclusive economic growth. A holistic and multifaceted strategy is essential, for leveraging geography, and hydropower potential, exploring renewable energy sources, driving industrialisation, and capitalising on CPEC investments.

Encouraging investments in technology, mining, tourism, agriculture, and renewable energy will help create a more resilient economic base. Local and foreign private investments are required in education, and vocational training is required to build a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of modern industries; at present, only a few urban areas are capable of providing a workforce to support multiple modern industries; he added.

The PBF officials said policy responses to the economic crisis unanimously recommend that in a politically vulnerable environment, sustainable economic decisions require a whole-of-government approach. This approach must involve a comprehensive suite of institutions specialising in economic policy settings, investor services, sector development, business regulation, and public resource management.