ISLAMABAD:
The Central Development Working Group (CDWP) has approved 15 development projects worth Rs34.740 billion and recommended nine major projects with a cumulative cost of Rs431.022 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and attended by federal secretaries, provincial planning departments and senior officials. The agenda included projects from critical sectors including fuel, health, information technology, energy, transport and communication, in line with the government’s URAAN Pakistan reform agenda.
Approved projects include exploration of radioactive minerals in the Marwat area (Rs 1.440 billion), CT scanning and MRI machines in AJK hospitals (Rs 5.483 billion), Prime Minister’s e-sports arenas and training centers (Rs 3.167 billion) and Geospatialx Complex Pakinomist-AI Development and Innovation (Rs.4s.0 billion). Other approvals include PAKAWAZ secure mobile communication ecosystem (Rs 708.7 million), Frontier Corps Balochistan accommodation (Rs 2.019 billion), a 120-bed hospital in Turbat (Rs 2.485 billion) and three-phase AMI meters for LESCO (Rs 6.256 billion). The forum also approved a Robotics Center of Excellence (Rs 500 million) and road construction projects.
ECNEC recommended projects
Among the projects recommended for ECNEC is the establishment of an Emerging Technologies Data Center worth Rs.7.93 billion, aimed at providing secure, superior AI and high-performance computing infrastructure to public institutions, academia and the private sector.
National Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem Development Program worth Rs 13 billion) and Pakistan Communication Satellite-2 project worth Rs 37.192 billion ) with ground control center upgrades were also recommended for ECNEC approval.
A transport sector project, upgrading track and allied infrastructure on ML-3 from Rohri to Koh-e-Taftan (996 km) worth Rs 278.619 billion, including track renewal and 11 new stations between Spezand and Taftan, was also recommended. It will be implemented in two phases from 2026 to 2033. The construction of Mashkel-Chedgi Road (108.5 km) worth Rs 43.647 billion, with 90% Saudi Fund for Development financing, was recommended along with Rathoa Haryam Bridge project in Mirpur AJK worth Rs 10.867 billion.
Iqbal noted that the Rathoa Haryam Bridge project had been stalled since 2018 and was revived after the current government assumed office in April 2022. The project, which was initially started in 2006, has now been physically completed at a revised cost of Rs.9.98 billion, fully funded through the Public Sector Development Programme. The minister emphasized that the approved projects are in line with URAAN Pakistan’s vision of digital transformation, modern infrastructure and sustainable economic growth.
