ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) cleared 12 development projects with a total estimated cost of Rs 435.665 billion. It approved six projects worth Rs 16.904 billion and recommended six major projects, costing Rs 418.761 billion in total, to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration and final approval.
The CDWP met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, in the chair on Thursday. The meeting reviewed and considered a range of development initiatives aimed at strengthening key sectors of the national economy and accelerating the government’s reform agenda.
The agenda included projects from critical sectors, including Information Technology, Physical Planning & Housing, Power, and Water. These projects are aligned with the government’s broader development vision and reform agenda under URAAN Pakistan, which focuses on strengthening human capital, modernizing governance, improving infrastructure, and promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Seven projects related to the power sector were presented in the meeting, including “Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning of Asset Performance Management System (APMS) for 100kVA & 200kVA General Duty Distribution Transmission in SEPCO” worth Rs. 1,974.150 million, “Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning of Asset Performance Management System (APMS) for 100kVA & 200kVA General Duty Distribution Transformers in QESCO” worth Rs. 4,093.470 million, and “Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning of Asset Performance Management System (APMS) for 100kVA & 200kVA General Duty Distribution Transformers in PESCO” worth Rs 4,621 million. Also included were “Capacity Building for Preparation and Implementation of the Boosting Energy Security through Transmission in Pakistan (BEST-PAK) Program” worth Rs. 1,424.800 million and “Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning of Asset Performance Management System (APMS) for 100kVA & 200kVA General Duty Distribution Transmission in HAZECO” worth Rs. 1,900 million, all of which were approved by the CDWP forum after detailed discussion.
Two major projects, namely “Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning of Asset Performance Management Systems (APMS) for 100 kVA & 200 kVA General Duty Distribution Transformers in LESCO” worth Rs. 24.065 billion and “Installation of Reactive Power Compensation Devices in NGC Network (Modified PC-I)” worth Rs. 194.951 billion, were recommended to ECNEC for further consideration.
While reviewing the power sector projects, Ahsan Iqbal directed the concerned authorities to ensure that procurement specialist positions may be included in mega project procurements. He further emphasized that for major DISCOs, including LESCO, PESCO, QESCO, HESCO, and SEPCO, project cost estimates should be standardized, and proper load assessment must be carried out to ensure accurate planning and efficient execution of the projects.
A project of the government of Punjab, related to the Information Technology Sector, namely “Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement Project” worth Rs. 43.081 billion was presented in the meeting and referred to the ECNEC for further consideration.
Another project from the Information Technology sector, titled “Smart Islamabad Initiative (SII) – Phase I,” worth Rs. 2.89 billion was approved by the CDWP. The scope of the project includes establishment of integrated smart governance and security platform for Islamabad, leveraging advanced technologies to improve cross-agency coordination, enhance public service delivery, and strengthen monitoring and response systems across key urban functions.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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