BARCELONA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has called on the international community and aid agencies to step up assistance for the rehabilitation of flood-affected communities in Pakistan, saying local resources alone are insufficient to repair the scale of destruction.
Speaking at a press conference in Barcelona alongside leaders of the Pakistan Federation Spain, PPP Spain President Chaudhry Ishtiaq, and other community representatives, the governor described his visits to Spain and Belgium as “diplomatic and welfare successes.”
He said discussions with aid organisations had focused on securing urgent relief and long-term rehabilitation for thousands of families displaced by recent floods.
Kundi underlined the critical role of overseas Pakistanis, calling them the country’s “pride and strength,” and said expatriates in Europe had once again pledged full support for victims. He stressed that many families are still forced to live in temporary shelters, warning that the province lacks the financial and institutional capacity to restore devastated districts, highways, and infrastructure on its own.
Taking aim at the provincial government, Kundi dismissed the KP Chief Minister’s recent remarks that foreign assistance was unnecessary, terming the statement “ridiculous.” He argued that rejecting outside help at a time of severe crisis would only worsen the suffering of vulnerable communities.
During the press conference, the governor also pointed to Spain’s consistent support for Pakistan’s positions on Kashmir and Palestine and announced new cooperation initiatives in tourism. He said talks had also been held to expand higher education opportunities for Pakistani students in Europe.
Kundi invited the Governor of Catalonia to visit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to showcase the province’s peaceful and positive image abroad. On questions about creating new provinces, he said such decisions should be based on administrative needs rather than linguistic or emotional divides.
The governor further expressed optimism that negotiations with Spain would lead to progress on dual nationality arrangements, providing greater ease and security for Pakistani expatriates.
