The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) met today under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal. 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.
During the meeting, the forum approved 6 development projects worth Rs. 16.904 billion, while 6 major projects with a cumulative cost of Rs. 418.761 billion were recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, Members of the Planning Commission, Federal Secretaries, heads of Provincial Planning & Development Board Departments, and senior representatives from relevant federal ministries and provincial governments.
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 million and “Installation of Reactive Power Compensation Devices in NGC Network (Modified PC-I)” worth Rs. 194,951.070 million, were recommended to ECNEC for further consideration.
While reviewing the power sector projects, the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, directed the concerned authorities to ensure that procurement specialist positions may be included of mega projects 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.
He said that energy security remains one of the central pillars of the Government’s “URAAN Pakistan” initiative, which seeks to accelerate economic growth, industrial competitiveness, and sustainable development. He noted that a reliable, efficient and modern energy system is indispensable for achieving higher productivity, attracting investment, boosting exports and creating employment opportunities across the country.
The Minister underscored the need to modernize power infrastructure while considering solar energy inflow by adoption of advanced technologies, digital asset management systems and enhanced transmission networks to minimize losses, improve service delivery and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to consumers. He stated that these interventions would contribute significantly towards reducing operational inefficiencies, strengthening distribution networks and improving the overall performance of the power sector.
Ahsan Iqbal further highlighted that the approved projects would directly benefit households, businesses and industries by improving the reliability and quality of electricity supply, supporting economic activity and facilitating sustainable growth. He reiterated the Government’s commitment to implementing transformative energy sector reforms under the URAAN Pakistan framework to ensure affordable, accessible and secure energy for all citizens while laying the foundation for a resilient and competitive economy.
A project od GoPb related to Information Technology Sector presented in the meeting namely “Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement Project” worth Rs. 43081.090 million referred to ECNEC for further consideration. The project is proposed to be financed through foreign funding of World Bank. The revised scope of the project includes the development of a modern land administration system under the Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement Project (PULSE), comprising digitization of urban and rural revenue records, cadastral and Mussavie maps, archiving and indexing of old registered deeds, and mass-level partitioning of agricultural joint holdings. It also covers door-to-door Android-based surveys, digitization of kachi abadis and land parcels, and public display of surveyed maps. In addition, the project includes development of a Digital Elevation Model, capacity building of Arazi Record Centre and field staff, updation of valuation tables, software development, introduction of Green Property Certificates, community engagement activities, and establishment of an Inventory and Management System for state land assets under the Land for Housing component.
The Minister/DCPC directed that impact of the exchange rate variation may be reconciled in consultation with the Government of Punjab before submitting the project summary to ECNEC.
Another project from the Information Technology sector, titled “Smart Islamabad Initiative (SII) – Phase I,” worth Rs. 2,890.893 million, was approved by the forum after detailed discussion. The scope of the project includes establishment of an 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. The revised project cost of Rs. 3,532.293 million is distributed across seven cost heads with corresponding adjustments and justifications.
While approving the project, the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission directed that clear sector-wise outcomes of the project must be explicitly included in the PC-I to ensure better clarity on expected results and impact assessment.
Another project of GoPb related to Physical Planning and Housing sector presented namely “Construction of Wastewater Treatment Plant at Babu Sabu Lahore” worth Rs. 60493.047 million referred to ECNEC for further consideration. The project proposed to be financed through foreign funding of AFD. The objective of the project is to construct a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) at Babu Sabu, Lahore to ensure safe treatment of the city’s sewage, which is currently discharged untreated into the river. The project aims to significantly reduce pollution of surface and groundwater resources, protect public health, improve hygiene conditions, and restore downstream water quality for agricultural use and aquatic ecosystems. It will also strengthen the institutional capacity of WASA Lahore, support the development of an effective operational and financial framework, and align with national priorities including SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 13 (climate action), while also contributing to potential carbon credit generation through advanced wastewater treatment technologies.
The forum directed the Member Infrastructure, Planning Commission to review the proposed cost increase of the project in consultation with the Government of Punjab prior to its submission to ECNEC.
A revised project related to water sector presented in the meeting namely “Construction of Jalalpur Irrigation Canal Project and its System” worth Rs. 64095.614 million recommended to ECNEC for further consideration. The project is being implemented by the Government of Punjab through multiple funding sources. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is contributing 86.93% of the total cost, equivalent to Rs. 55,880.45 million (USD 226.68 million). Out of this ADB financing, USD 127.35 million has already been utilized, while the remaining loan balance stands at USD 99.33 million, with the revised PC-I applying an exchange rate of 1 USD = PKR 284. The Government of Punjab is contributing 12.78% (Rs. 8,215.16 million) towards taxes and duties, while farmers are contributing a nominal 0.0029% (Rs. 184.93 million) in kind for the construction of watercourses and farm turnouts.
The forum constituted a committee under the Member Infrastructure to finalize the project cost before to ECNEC.
A revised project under the Special Program titled “Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project (SPPAP) – IFAD Assisted,” worth Rs. 32,075.132 million, was recommended to ECNEC for further consideration. The project is financed through multiple sources, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) contributing Rs. 29,662.93 million (USD 151.882 million), the Government of Punjab contributing Rs. 1,936.436 million, and beneficiaries contributing Rs. 475.767 million.
The project is aligned with the Government of Pakistan/Punjab’s broader economic development and poverty alleviation strategy and supports the URAAN Pakistan 5Es National Economic Transformation Plan, particularly in remote districts of Southern Punjab the areas of Economy, Infrastructure, Equity, and Empowerment. It is also fully consistent with Punjab’s poverty reduction framework and the provincial government’s social protection and poverty alleviation agenda.
