IN positive news about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa trying to move beyond the troubles of the last decade, the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched 'vision documents' for growing industry and tourism on Tuesday. For a province where life in general and these sectors in particular have been badly damaged by the deterioration in security, a move like this provides some confidence that civil society is beginning to think boldly about a different future for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In tourism, especially, the province's natural riches and its past successes mean there is much room for revival. The documents set out priorities for the development of the two sectors over the next several years, such as training and lending for industry and infrastructure, law and order, and branding for tourism. In doing so, they supplement the idea of revival with targets and areas of focus. They demonstrate, too, how civil society and civilian government can play a role now that army operations have been completed in some parts of the province. While the continued presence of the military in troubled areas such as Malakand might be important to give confidence to investors and tourists, life in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will not truly improve unless the private sector and the administration step in.

Much, however, remains to be done. The programme for industry in particular is both constrained and optimistic, limiting the vision to 2015, requiring significant funds and aiming to take industrial growth in the province from the low single digits into the double digits over the next four years. Its successful implementation will also depend heavily on the level of political ownership; the provincial government has its own industrial policy, and unless this is consolidated with the SCCI's vision, the latter is unlikely to be executed. For this it might be helpful to use as a model the tourism sector, in which the provincial government has recently taken initiative in promoting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a way that fits in with the Chamber's plans. Developing goals was an important first step, but their realisation will depend on the level of commitment going forward.