Pakistan's Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved three development projects worth PKR 11.714 billion and referred two larger schemes valued at PKR 48.545 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for final approval. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives announced the decisions on Sunday. #### What did the CDWP approve at its latest meeting? The CDWP is a government body that reviews and approves public sector development projects before larger schemes move to ECNEC for final sign-off. At this meeting, chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, it cleared projects worth a combined PKR 60.259 billion spanning health, education, transport and water infrastructure. The approved projects included a revised PKR 4.924 billion plan to establish a medical and nursing college in Gilgit. Iqbal said expanding medical education in remote areas was important for building a skilled local health workforce, and called for the project's early completion after delays caused by funding constraints since it began in 2017. #### Which education and transport projects were cleared? The CDWP approved a PKR 2.753 billion project to establish a National Defense University Faculty of Contemporary Studies campus at the Defense Complex Islamabad. Iqbal directed the university to align its research with national development goals, including Pakistan's target of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy and reaching USD 100 billion in exports by 2035. In the transport sector, the CDWP approved a PKR 4.037 billion project to build a 53.4 kilometer road from Zera to Daboori in Orakzai district. Iqbal directed authorities to release remaining funds before winter to complete the federally funded project, which has been under development since 2016 and is expected to improve connectivity in the newly merged districts. #### Which projects were referred to ECNEC? The CDWP referred the PKR 19.545 billion Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project to ECNEC for further consideration. The project will be financed through foreign funding, with its local component covered by the Sindh government's Annual Development Program. Iqbal directed the formation of a committee, including Planning Commission members and a representative from the Economic Affairs Division, to develop a framework for monitoring foreign-funded projects. He said such projects must provide value for money and called for stronger mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability. The CDWP also referred a PKR 29 billion project to supply Gwadar with water from Mirani Dam to ECNEC for approval. The scheme forms part of Balochistan's socioeconomic development program and aims to build sustainable water infrastructure for the port city. Iqbal directed the Balochistan government to study wastewater treatment options in Gwadar, warning against allowing untreated sewage to pollute the sea. He permitted authorities to proceed to the bidding stage to save time, but said no contract could be awarded until ECNEC grants approval. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Planning Commission, federal ministries, provincial planning departments and other government institutions.

ISLAMABAD – The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved a project of Physical Planning & Housing sector presented namely “Construction of New Balochistan Assembly at Quetta” worth Rs9519 million in-principal and recommended to ECNEC for further considerations. CDWP in a meeting chaired by the Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and Deputy […] The post CDWP approves Rs9,519 million for construction of new Balochistan Assembly appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved a 100 megawatt solar photovoltaic power project for Gilgit-Baltistan, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. It added that formal work on the project would now commence. The prime minister had announced during his recent visit to GB that Ecnec would soon approve the 100MW power plants. […]

The Council of Common Interests (CCI) on Monday rejected the federal government’s proposal for the construction of new canals, overturning the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council’s (ECNEC) decision made on February 7. “No new canals will be constructed without mutual understanding and consensus among all provinces… Centre will not move forward with any […]

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved a 100 megawatt solar photovoltaic power project for Gilgit-Baltistan, state-run _Radio Pakistan_ reported on Saturday. It added that formal work on the project would now commence. The prime minister had announced during his recent visit to GB that Ecnec would soon approve the 100MW power plants. The report said that Central Development Working Party had already approved the project and it would benefit the districts of Astore, Darel, Tangir, Diamer, Ghanche, Ghizer, Gilgit, Hunza, Ishkoman, Nagar, Roundu, Skardu and Shigar. It added that Skardu district would be provided with 18.96MW of electricity in the first phase; the districts of Hunza, Gilgit and Diamer would be supplied with 6MW, 28MW and 13MW of electricity, respectively, in the second phase and the remaining districts would receive 16.1MW of electricity in the third phase. The project is set to be completed within three years at a total cost of Rs24,957 million. In June, protest demonstrations were held in several areas of GB against massive loadshedding and power outages — leading to blockades on main roads and the Karakoram Highway. The issue was raised in the GB Assembly by opposition lawmakers, who said the crisis has made life unbearable for people.

Key projects in education, health, housing, and infrastructure to advance with federal government support

Project worth Rs 25 billion to install solar facilities across multiple districts of GB

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, approved 10 development projects during its recent meeting, endorsing four projects worth PKR 14.3 billion while referring six major initiatives totaling PKR 1.82 trillion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval. The approved and referred projects span key sectors such as education, higher education, information technology, housing, power, water resources, and transportation, sources told Nukta. In education, the CDWP reviewed the PKR 28 billion "Getting Results: Access and Delivery of Quality Education Services in Balochistan" project, referring it to ECNEC for consideration. Funded with US$ 100 million from the World Bank, the initiative aims to improve education access, teaching quality, data-driven accountability, climate resilience, and emergency preparedness. Higher education saw approval for the PKR 3.9 billion "Establishment of Sub-Campus Quaid-I-Azam University Islamabad at Sharaqpur, Sheikhupura," contingent upon Punjab's land provision and university syndicate approval. In IT, three projects were approved, including a PKR 5 billion initiative supporting startups and IT training, a PKR 579.8 million program strengthening the planning ministry's IT systems, and the PKR 4.8 billion "National Semiconductor HR Development Program" aimed at enhancing the workforce in the semiconductor industry. Under physical planning and housing, a PKR 16.1 billion project for constructing customs complexes and digital enforcement stations was referred to ECNEC. The revised "Dasu Hydropower Project (Stage-I)" was among the largest referred projects, totaling PKR 1.737 trillion. Minister Iqbal underscored its strategic importance for Pakistan’s water and food security but expressed concerns over soaring costs from PKR 479 billion to PKR 1.73 trillion due to mismanagement and delays. He ordered third-party validation of cost escalations and sought explanations from WAPDA regarding fiscal oversight. Transport and water projects also featured prominently, with ECNEC set to review rehabilitation efforts for Sindh's flood-affected areas, Quetta’s water supply improvements, and flood management initiatives in Balochistan. Minister Iqbal reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency and efficient spending, stating, “Every rupee is a sacred trust and must be guarded with utmost responsibility to achieve development goals.”

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: In an unprecedented development, the federal government on Thursday approved 27 projects worth over Rs1.5 trillion in just a few hours, without much scrutiny. Most projects were related to Sindh and Balochistan. Key schemes include the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, the reconstruction of a National Highway in Sindh, and upgrades to the dangerous N-25 road in Balochistan. Several Sindh-focused projects were also approved, despite these violating the National Fiscal Pact signed under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, approved 28 projects spanning energy, infrastructure, education, health, environment, and public service across both federal and provincial levels, according to an announcement from Dar's office.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has granted approval for the long-awaited construction of the 306-kilometre Hyderabad–Sukkur Motorway. The project will be completed in five sections. The first three sections of Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway—spanning 180 km—will be financed through a loan from the Islamic Development Bank. The remaining two sections will be funded either through the federal government’s resources or via a public-private partnership model. The ECNEC meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, with Sindh represented by Provincial Minister and ECNEC member Jam Khan Shoro.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 12 major development projects worth over Rs380 billion, focusing on agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, and climate resilience across Pakistan. The high-level meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, aimed to accelerate inclusive growth and improve living standards through multi-sectoral […] The post ECNEC Approves Rs380 Billion Worth of Projects for National Growth appeared first on TechJuice.

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Monday approved 10 out of 11 proposed development projects costing Rs 172.7 billion. A project presented by the Ministry of Health was d...