ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has invited Chinese investors to explore opportunities in the natural resources sector of its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, state media reported Sunday, as Islamabad intensifies efforts to attract foreign capital and unlock the region’s vast mineral potential.
KP holds significant deposits of metallic and non-metallic minerals, precious gemstones, marble, granite, limestone, and chromite, alongside oil, natural gas reserves, and considerable hydropower potential.
The outreach follows a major administrative shift last month, when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s federal government assumed control of the province, citing persistent security and governance challenges. Authorities imposed governor’s rule and a state of emergency in militancy-affected districts, sidelining the opposition-led provincial administration.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, now overseeing provincial affairs, met with a delegation of Chinese investors in Peshawar to promote investment in the region’s resource wealth.
“Detailed discussions were held on investment opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly the potential of the minerals sector and opportunities in the province’s economic zones,” Radio Pakistan reported.
The initiative aligns with Islamabad’s broader push to draw foreign investment as the country seeks to develop its largely untapped natural resources. Kundi emphasized that the province offers vast opportunities, especially in mining, and assured the delegation that the government would provide all necessary facilities for investors operating within the province’s economic zones.
