ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has cleared eight development projects at a total cost of Rs 266.55 billion.
The CDWP approved four development projects worth Rs 10.551 billion and recommended four major projects costing Rs 256 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration and final approval.
The CDWP met here on Friday with Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, in the chair.
The agenda encompassed projects from key sectors including Education and Training, Health, Power, Transport & Communications, Devolution and Area Development, and Water Resources.
In the Education and Training sector, two revised projects were reviewed. The forum recommended the revised “Prime Minister’s Pakistan Fund for Education” for Rs 14 billion to ECNEC.
During deliberations, Ahsan Iqbal emphasised that the core objective is to provide scholarships and Qarz-e-Hasna to support top-talented needy students pursuing higher education in strategic fields such as IT, AI, science, development economics, water resources, and mining, which are critical for Pakistan’s future development.
The forum further directed the Ministry of Education to submit the modified PC-I to the Planning Commission, in compliance with the directives of the Development Coordination and Project Clearance (DCPC), before being forwarded to the ECNEC.
CDWP approves 12 projects across ‘critical’ sectors
The second revised project, “Construction of Graduate Block in NCA Lahore,” worth Rs 1,607.314 million, was also approved by the CDWP, which will enable the country’s premier art education institution to expand its programs. He said that developing creative industries is one of the drivers and goals of the country’s exports under the initiative of URAAN Pakistan.
Two projects from the Health sector were presented. The Expansion of Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD), Rawalpindi for Rs 12.948 billion was recommended to the ECNEC. Forum approved the project with the direction that the sponsoring agency should approach the Ministry of Finance and EAD for alternative sources of funding, as the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) has been significantly reduced in size over recent years and is under severe stress to meet the funding needs of many high-priority national projects.
The second project, the revised “Punjab Family Planning Program” worth Rs. 4,282.350 million, was approved by the CDWP. The minister underscored the critical need for provinces to exercise devolved responsibilities fully. He expressed profound concern over Pakistan’s lagging social indicators, citing the country’s status as one of only two nations worldwide still affected by polio is embarrassing, and we can’t grow with the population growth rate of 2.55 percent, and stressed that all social sector programmes must be result-driven to make a meaningful impact.
Regarding Transport & Communications, the revised “Karachi Urban Mobility Project (Yellow BRT Corridor)” worth Rs 178.593 billion was recommended to the ECNEC. The project is proposed to be financed through a World Bank loan, contributions from the Government of Sindh, and private sector participation. Approving the project, Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed concern over the lack of progress during the past six years and directed that the project’s Cost Sharing Ratio (CSR) be reviewed and presented to ECNEC with updated details.
In the Water Resources sector, the CDWP approved the “Project Readiness Financing (PRF) for Punjab Water Resources Management (PWRM)” at cost of Rs. 1,673.328 million. This initiative is designed to enhance water resource governance in Punjab and will be jointly financed by the Asian Development Bank (96.5%) and the Government of Punjab (3.5 percent).
Additionally, the forum approved two other significant projects. The “Hosting Community Support Program (HCSP)” valued at Rs. 2,988 million, presented by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan, States & Frontier Region, will focus on solarising schools and healthcare facilities while providing essential education infrastructure. Furthermore, a revised project from the Power Division, “Upgradation/ Extension of NTDC’s Telecommunications & SCADA System” worth Rs. 50.374 billion, was recommended to the ECNEC for further consideration. This project is proposed to be financed through the Asian Development Bank and NTDC’s own resources.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, Vice Chancellor PIDE, the Chief Economist, members of the Planning Commission, Federal Secretaries, heads of Provincial Planning Departments, and senior representatives from relevant ministries and provincial governments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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