'Security perception discouraging Japanese investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa'

Ambassador of Japan, Hiroshi OE has said that Japan is providing assistance in education, infrastructure, energy and health sectors and last year had provided a fund of dollars 65 million for eradication of polio. Talking to media here on Monday, he said Pakistan was amongst the only four countries that were still fighting eradication of the disease.
He said that war against terrorism was global issue, saying the approach of his country was the elimination of the root causes of terrorism, adding Japan was paying attention to the resolution of the problems of poverty and illiteracy in this regard. On this occasion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Kiramatullah Khan, Provincial Minister for Sports and Archaeology Aqil Shah, Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Women Development Sitara Ayaz, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Chairman Mohsin Aziz and Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Afan Aziz were also present.
He said the perception regarding security issue was preventing Japanese investors from investment in KPK however, the perception, which he himself was having not reflecting the reality. After bringing improvement in security perception, the investors, he added would ultimately come to invest in the province.
The Japanese Ambassador said that due to security reasons they were not fully working in Fata and whatever they were doing was on a very small scale, and added they wanted to go to Fata and resolve the serious problems of education and health sectors. He said they were working on a project for establishment of solar energy transmission that would be supplied in houses, adding the project would be initiated from Islamabad.
To a question, he said that aid and trade should go combined, saying that due to wrong perception presently only 14 Japanese companies were working in Pakistan as compare to 600 in its neighbouring Islamic state Iran. Iran had created better environment for foreign investors therefore their trade with that country had increased by manifolds, he said.
Meanwhile, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Hiroshi OE also called on KPK Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti here at his office. Matters pertaining to bilateral relations, situation in the region, progress on schemes in KPK with Japan assistance and others remained under discussion on the occasion.
The CM welcomed the Japanese Ambassador and lauded Japan's assistance for development and construction of Pakistan particularly KPK and said that government and people of KPK highly revered those services. He said people of the province had gallantly faced terrorism and natural calamities like challenges in the past due to which situation regarding reconstruction of flood devastated infrastructure and law and order in the province were improved now.
The CM thanked Japanese Government on extending assistance during 2005 earthquake and 2010 flooding and particularly cited Jica-funded projects and stressed the need for accelerating work pace on it. Regarding children hospital in Peshawar, the CM said it was the first ever children hospital of the province and matters regarding provision of land and others in this connection had been finalised.