PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday said country’s political leadership can resolve both internal and external issues, including the tensions with Afghanistan.

He said a peaceful Afghanistan was important not only for Pakistan but also for the entire region.

“We desire the best possible relations and promotion of trade with Afghanistan and all neighboring countries,” the governor said while speaking at a session on ‘Pakistan-Afghanistan Security, Trade, and Regional Economy’, organised by the department of international relations, University of Peshawar, at the Governor’s House here on Wednesday, according to a statement.

Mr Kundi said in order to achieve economic and commercial progress, it was essential to establish lasting peace throughout the region.

The governor said that a balanced strategy was needed, which could ensure regional security besides promoting legal trade and people-to-people contacts between the neighboring countries.

Mr Kundi said the areas along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan had an impact on the security situation of the province. He said that the regional situation had completely changed post-Afghan-Soviet war and 9/11. “During this period, the activities of militant groups in Afghanistan severely affected law and order situation in the province,” the statement quoted the governor as saying.

He said Pakistan had made immense sacrifices in the war against terrorism, and KP was a living example of these sacrifices. He hoped that the recommendations put forward at the seminar would assist relevant institutions in informed and effective policy-making.

Mr Kundi stated that merely identifying problems was not enough and proposing workable and realistic solutions was also critical.

Other speakers at the session highlighted the regional issues, security and trade challenges between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the potential of utilising the Pak-Afghan border for trade development, and promoting trade access to Central Asian Republics.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2026