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 considered and approved five development projects . Of these, three projects , worth Rs. 11.714 billion , were approved by the CDWP, while two major projects , with a cumulative worth of Rs. 48.545 billion, were recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
The meeting was attended by the Add. Secretary Planning, Chief Economist, VC PIDE, 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, Health, Science & Technology, Physical Planning & Housing and Transport & Communications. 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.
A revised project of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan related to the Health sector, titled “ Establishment of Medical & Nursing College at Gilgit ,” worth Rs. Rs. 4,923.747 million , was presented before the forum and approved. While reviewing the project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal emphasized the importance of expanding medical and nursing education opportunities in remote and underserved areas to develop a skilled local healthcare workforce and strengthen the delivery of quality healthcare services to communities in rural and mountainous regions. He emphasised early completion as the project had been initiated in 2017 by previous PMLN government and got delayed due to lack of fundings.
A project related to Science and Technology, titled “ Establishment of National Defence University (NDU) FCS Campus at Defence Complex Islamabad (DCI)” , worth Rs. 2,753.422 million , was presented before the forum and approved. While reviewing the project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal directed the relevant authorities to collaborate with Planning Commission for undertaking research relevant to national development goals of achieving one trillion dollar economy and hundred billion dollar exports vy 2035 and sign an MOU in this regard. He also directed that Ministry of Planning & Development staff be included in training programmes for capacity building. He emphasised that country’s universities must provide evidence based solutions to national challenges through high quality research. .
Two projects related to the Transport & Communications sector were presented before the forum. The first project, titled “ Construction of Road from Zera to Daboori, District Orakzai (53.4 km) ,” worth Rs. Rs. 4,036.830 million, was approved.
While reviewing the project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal directed that remaining funds should be released before winter season for completion of the project as the project is lingering from 2016. This project funded by federal government will improve connectivity in Orakzai District and reflects commitment of PML-N government for development of NMDs.
The revised second project in the Transport & Communication (T&C) sector, titled “ Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project ,” worth Rs. 19,544.830 million , was referred to the ECNEC for further consideration. The project is proposed to be financed through foreign funding and local share to be funded by the GOS ADP.
While reviewing the project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal directed that a committee comprising the Member (Population), Member (Infrastructure) and a representative of the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) be constituted to develop a comprehensive framework for effective monitoring, transparency and accountability of foreign-funded development projects. He emphasized that projects financed through foreign borrowing must deliver value for money and directed that robust mechanisms be put in place to ensure that borrowed funds are utilized efficiently, transparently and strictly for their intended purposes.
A project related to the Physical Planning & Housing sector, titled “ Construction of Water Supply Scheme to Gwadar Town from Mirani Dam under Balochistan Socio-Economic Development Projects Phase-III ,” worth Rs. 29,000 million , was presented before the forum and referred to the ECNEC for further consideration. The project aims to provide a sustainable water supply to Gwadar through the construction of the required water supply infrastructure and allied facilities.
While reviewing the project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal directed the Provincial Government to initiate a study for waste water treatment in Gwadar, observing that Gawadar shouldn’t be allowed to become Karachi with sewerage water polluting the sea. He also allowed the project to proceed to the bidding stage to save time; however, he directed that the contract should not be awarded until the project receives approval from the ECNEC.
