The federal government has advanced development projects worth Rs. 213 billion for irrigation, schools, solar power and other sectors, including a Rs. 69.9 billion irrigation scheme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and an Rs. 85.3 billion flood management project in Punjab.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on October 26, approved 10 projects worth Rs. 40.915 billion and recommended three projects worth Rs. 172.25 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final consideration.
The initiatives cover water resources, education, youth development, power, roads and broadcasting under the government’s URAAN Pakistan agenda.
The KP Resilient Irrigated Agriculture Livelihoods Development Project, valued at Rs. 69.893 billion, will be co-financed by the Asian Development Bank, contributing Rs. 56.133 billion, and the KP government, contributing Rs. 11.692 billion. Land acquisition will be funded separately through a dedicated PC-I.
The project aims to rehabilitate the Pehur Main Canal, construct the Mulkhow Irrigation Distribution System, and extend the Pehur High Level Canal to improve irrigation infrastructure and support agricultural livelihoods in the province.
Another major water-sector initiative, the Rs. 85.342 billion Integrated Hill Torrent Management (Chachar–Mithawan) project in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur, Punjab, was also recommended to ECNEC. The Asian Development Bank will contribute Rs. 73.06 billion, while the Punjab government will provide Rs. 12.282 billion. The project includes modern spate irrigation systems, flood protection channels, telemetry systems, and centralized Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) monitoring.
CDWP Advances Education and Youth Projects
The CDWP approved in principle several education and youth development initiatives, subject to reviews and adjustments where required.
These include the establishment of Daanish Schools across Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, KP, and Sindh, with a stated cost of Rs. 122.4 million. The forum directed that project costs be rationalized.
The establishment of a Daanish School in Kuri, Islamabad, costing Rs. 7.357 billion, was also approved in principle. Another Daanish School in Kan Mehterzai, Qila Saifullah, Balochistan, valued at Rs. 4.528 billion, received in-principle approval, with a technical review committee tasked with streamlining the project.
Youth-focused initiatives approved in principle include the Prime Minister’s Youth Development Centers project, worth Rs. 4.145 billion; the Prime Minister’s Talent Hunt Youth Sports League (Phase I), worth Rs. 3.988 billion; the Prime Minister’s National Innovation Award, valued at Rs. 1.97 billion; and the establishment of Prime Minister’s Youth Program Sports Academies, a High Performance and Resource Centre, and Youth Olympics, costing Rs. 2.956 billion.
The youth development centers project will incorporate third-party validation and structured monitoring, while a steering committee under the Pakistan Sports Board will coordinate the Talent Hunt Youth Sports League across provinces and regions.
Solar Power and Broadcasting Projects Move Forward
In the power sector, the CDWP approved in principle a pilot Battery Energy Storage System at the 220 kV Jhimpir-I Grid Station, valued at Rs. 4.395 billion. The initiative aims to support grid stability and the integration of renewable energy.
The Prime Minister’s Solar Scheme for Newly Merged Districts, worth Rs. 13.323 billion, was also approved in principle and referred to ECNEC. The scheme aims to provide off-grid solar energy solutions to households in the merged districts.
The forum also approved in principle the revamping of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC), estimated to cost Rs. 3.962 billion. The project focuses on digital transformation, commercialization of international assets, and long-term financial sustainability.
Road Infrastructure Projects Recommended and Approved
The CDWP recommended the Rs. 17.012 billion improvement and widening of National Highway N-45, Section I, covering the 39-kilometer Chakdara–Timergara stretch, to ECNEC. The project is expected to be financed through foreign funding via Exim Bank.
The highway upgrade aims to improve a key transport corridor connecting Chakdara, Timergara, Dir, and Chitral, supporting trade, road safety, and tourism in the Kalash, Shandur, and Kumrat valleys.
The forum also approved the construction of an eight-lane overhead bridge at Imamia Colony Railway Crossing on National Highway N-5 in Shahdara, Lahore, at a cost of Rs. 7.492 billion.
The project includes construction and rehabilitation of connecting roads to help reduce traffic congestion in Shahdara Town.
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