The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, has approved development projects worth Rs187 billion.
Of these, six projects amounting to Rs19 billion were approved by the CDWP to initiate work on them, while another six projects worth Rs168 billion were recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.
The meeting, attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, Additional Secretary Planning, members of the Planning Commission, and representatives from federal ministries and provincial governments, discussed the importance of cost optimization. Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that Pakistan’s economic challenges necessitate judicious use of resources.
Among the approved projects were key health sector initiatives, including the “Establishment of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College Mirpur AJ&K” (Rs5.08 billion), the “200-bed Accident and Emergency Center at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS)” in Islamabad (Rs6.63 billion), and the “Replacement and Upgradation of HVAC Equipment at PIMS” (Rs1.65 billion).
Additionally, a project under the Industries and Commerce sector titled “Invest Pakistan” was approved at a cost of Rs1.39 billion. In the Physical Planning and Housing sector, the “Karachi Water & Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP) Phase-I” worth Rs25.47 billion was recommended to ECNEC. This project will be funded by the World Bank and the Sindh Government.
Other notable projects included the “Greater Water Supply Scheme for Central Hunza from Attabad Lake” (Rs2.08 billion), and a road infrastructure project connecting Baltistan and Diamer-Astore divisions (Rs12.3 billion), which was referred to ECNEC for further review.
The CDWP also approved a project for procuring Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles for the new Gwadar International Airport (Rs2.08 billion), and recommended the construction and upgrading of a 155-km road from Dirgi Shahbozai (N-70) to Taunsa Sharif (N-55) in Balochistan and Punjab (Rs11.55 billion) to ECNEC.
A revised project for the “Ziarat More-Kach-Harnai-Sanjavi Road” (Rs24.42 billion) in Balochistan was also referred to ECNEC following third-party validation.
Ahsan Iqbal stressed that projects in Balochistan remain a priority for the federal government, with resources being directed towards infrastructure development in the province. The meeting also forwarded two projects related to water resources: the “Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project (Irrigation Component)” worth Rs59.91 billion, aimed at repairing irrigation and drainage networks damaged in the 2022 floods, and constructing flood detention dams to prevent urban flooding. Both projects are proposed to be funded by the World Bank and the Sindh Government.
