The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), in a meeting chaired by the Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, approved 9 different development projects. Out of these, 7 projects with a total cost of Rs. 34.66 billion were approved at the CDWP level. And 2 projects, amounting to Rs. 44.62 billion, were recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.
The meeting was attended by Awais Manzur Sumra, Secretary Planning, along with VC PIDE, Chief Economist, other members of the Planning Commission, Federal Secretaries, heads of Provincial Planning & Development (P&D) boards/ departments, and senior representatives from relevant Federal Ministries and Provincial Governments.
The agenda focused on development projects across key sectors, including, Education & Training, Governance, Health, Higher Education, Information Technology, Physical Planning& Housing, Power, Transport & Communications and Water Resources.
A revised project related to Higher Education sector presented in the meeting namely “Establishment of University of Turbat (Phase-II)” worth Rs. 1930.330 million approved by the forum. The project at Turbat University encompasses comprehensive civil works, including construction of a new academic block, student hostels for boys and girls, faculty and staff housing, and full external development such as internal roads, drainage, water supply, sewerage, solar installations, pathways, and electrification. It also includes networking and automation systems, office and teaching equipment, furniture and fixtures, books and journals, laboratory equipment, operational vehicles, and project coordination support, ensuring a fully equipped and modern educational facility for the region.
While approving the revised Turbat University project during the CDWP meeting, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal reaffirmed that the economic uplift of Balochistan has always been a central pillar of the PML-N’s development vision. He noted that in previous tenures, new universities and campuses were established in remote regions of the province, financial support was extended to BUITEMS and Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University, and significant investment was made in strengthening mining engineering programs. The Minister recalled that five thousand scholarships were awarded to students from Balochistan and the erstwhile FATA—an initiative now expanded in its second phase—along with special overseas scholarships for legal education.
The Minister emphasized that it is now the responsibility of vice chancellors and faculty members to nurture the intellectual development of young people, build their national consciousness, and help them understand the scale of public investment being made in their future. He also directed that study tours to Islamabad and other major cities be incorporated for student exposure .
During the meeting, the Minister restored the previously reduced allocation for laboratory equipment, enhanced funding for library books, and directed the university to significantly expand its library resources. He further approved the installation of solar systems to improve energy efficiency. These decisions were welcomed and appreciated by all CDWP members. Ahsan Iqbal concluded by noting that Turbat University stands among the promising higher education institutions of the region and must be supported to reach its full potential.
A revised project related to Information Technology sector presented in the meeting namely “Automation of Post Office” worth Rs. 6644.830 million approved outside the PSDP funding through Export-Import Bank of Korea (KExim). The project aims to digitally transform Pakistan Post by automating 2,761 post offices across the country, strengthening financial services and modernizing end-to-end postal operations. Through the introduction of a Core Banking Solution, centralized data processing, and robust ICT infrastructure, the initiative will restore and enhance key services such as domestic and international remittances, COD transactions, basic banking, insurance, micro-payments, social cash transfers, and agency services. By digitizing ecommerce COD operations, establishing a primary data center with a disaster recovery site, and automating logistics and transportation management, the project seeks to align Pakistan Post with global standards, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure faster, more reliable public service delivery.
It was brief in the CDWP forum that the project for the Automation of Pakistan Post was approved, marking a major step toward modernizing one of the country’s oldest public service institutions. Originally approved in 2017 during the PML-N government at a cost of Rs. 2.2 billion, the project saw no progress after it was discontinued by the previous administration. Due to four years of delay, the project cost has now escalated to Rs. 6.5 billion, resulting in not only a significant financial loss but also substantial damage to Pakistan Post. The absence of digital transformation caused the organization to lose nearly 65% of its revenue to competitors who fully embraced digital systems in line with modern market demands.
While approving the project, the Federal Minister emphasized that digitalizing Pakistan Post is now essential. He noted that with timely automation, the organization can still capture a substantial share of the growing e-commerce market. He added that modernization will enhance revenue, restore competitiveness, and transform Pakistan Post into a game-changing, sustainable, and future-ready public service institution .
The CDWP also approved several key projects across multiple sectors. In the Education & Training sector, the project titled “Establishment of Daanish School at Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” worth Rs. 3,319.729 million was approved. In the Governance sector, the project “Enhancement of Capacity of Federal Government Entities in Preparation of Policy/ Programmes /Projects Etc. (Umbrella Programme)” valued at Rs. 5,431.500 million received approval.
A revised Health sector project, “Establishment of Stroke Intervention & Expansion of Critical Care/Cardiac Facilities at PIMS” amounting to Rs. 7,220.956 million, was also approved. In the Physical Planning & Housing sector, the revised project “Project Readiness Financing (PRF) for Punjab Provincial Projects Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Program” worth Rs. 4,836.717 million secured approvals. Additionally, a major revised Power sector project titled “Rehabilitation of Khyber I, II & III and Nagar Khas I & II Hydropower Stations, E&M Equipment for Chalt, Energy Efficiency and Gender Component (Development of Hydropower and Renewable Energy III - KfW Grant Program)” amounting to Rs. 5,274.510 million was approved after detailed deliberations.
A revised project related to Transport & Communications sector presented in the meeting namely “Construction of Link Highway (04 Lane) Connecting Lahore Sialkot Motorway (LSM) at Umerkot to Narang Mandi including Narowal Eastern Bypass” worth Rs. 28964.144 million recommended to ECNEC for further consideration. As per 2nd revised approval the project is financed on 50:50 cost sharing basis. The 3rd revised project scope is proposed to be financed through PSDP. The 3rd revised PC-I of the project focuses on an optimized and reduced scope, aligned with the requirements of the M.O Directorate and the Government of Punjab’s decisions. Under the revised plan, the project now includes the construction of a 23-km road from Umerkot at LSM to Gujjar Chowk, Narang Mandi (Package-I), and the construction of the 10.60-km Narowal Eastern Bypass (Package-III). The revised PC-I has been prepared using NHA CSR 2024 rates for Package-I and FWO bid rates for Package-III. Additionally, the road profile has been adjusted in line with the new High Flood Level (HFL) calculated after the August 2025 flood event, ensuring the infrastructure meets updated hydrological and operational requirements.
A revised project related to Water resources sector presented in the meeting namely “Pehur High Level Canal Extension Project ADP No. 2263/130026 (2020-21)” worth Rs. 15654.190 million recommended to ECNEC for further consideration. The project is being financed through multiple sources, mainly by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), along with contributions from the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and local farmers. In the original PC-I, ADB committed Rs. 9,051 million, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government Rs. 1,068 million, and farmers Rs. 37 million. In the revised PC-I, ADB’s share increased to Rs. 13,951.01 million, the provincial government’s contribution rose to Rs. 1,646.82 million, and farmers’ share increased to Rs. 56.36 million. The scope of the project includes laying two pressure pipelines—25 km for Indus Amber and 3.67 km for Janda Boka—and constructing two new open canal systems measuring 37 km and 11.04 km respectively. It further covers the development of distributaries, minors, head regulators, cross regulators, falls, escape channels, road and foot bridges, outlets, watercourses, and cross-drainage structures. The project also includes precise land leveling over 250 hectares and installation of a high-efficiency irrigation system on the same area. Additionally, necessary residential facilities for the employer, consultants, and contractors, as well as required equipment and machinery, are part of the approved scope.
