The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) considered and approved a portfolio of development projects worth Rs160.2 billion at a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof Ahsan Iqbal in Islamabad.
The forum reviewed proposals relating to the health, physical planning, housing, transport, and communications sectors, approving two projects with a cumulative cost of Rs8.5bn and recommending four major projects amounting to Rs151.7bn for consideration by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), said a release issued here on Friday.
Presiding over the meeting, Prof Ahsan Iqbal underscored the importance of aligning development interventions with national priorities, stating that public investment must deliver measurable improvements in human development, urban services and connectivity, particularly in regions affected by climate-induced shocks.
He said that the government remained committed to ensuring that federally supported and provincially implemented projects were designed for long-term sustainability and tangible socio-economic impact.
In the health sector, the CDWP examined the Sindh government’s project titled “Sindh Human Capital Investment: 1,000 Days – Integrated Health and Population Programme,” with a total cost of Rs55,078.535 million, which was recommended to ECNEC.
The project focuses on improving key indicators related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, nutrition and family planning.
It will be implemented by the Sindh Health Department in collaboration with the Population Welfare Department and is proposed to be financed through foreign funding.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening human capital outcomes during the critical early life cycle period, which is widely recognised as essential for sustainable economic growth.
Under the transport and communications sector, the Government of Sindh presented the Hyderabad Urban Infrastructure Development Package, with an estimated cost of Rs5bn. The CDWP approved the project, which will be financed through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
The project is expected to improve urban mobility and infrastructure, generating economic activity and enhancing access to services for residents of the Hyderabad region.
The forum also discussed the Karachi Urban Infrastructure Development Package under the physical planning and housing sector and recommended the project to ECNEC.
With a total cost of Rs15bn, the project will focus on priority infrastructure aimed at supporting the sustainable development of Karachi. The proposed interventions will cover multiple districts, including Karachi Central, East, South and West, as well as Korangi and Malir, and will be financed through the PSDP. The project is designed to address critical urban infrastructure gaps in Pakistan’s largest metropolitan centre.
Another major project recommended to ECNEC was the Emergency Flood Assistance Project – Sindh Works and Services Department Component, with a total cost of Rs60,054.590 million. The project will be financed through foreign funding, with 87 per cent provided by the Asian Development Bank and the remaining 13pc to be borne by the Government of Sindh through its Annual Development Plan.
The project covers several flood-affected districts, including Badin, Dadu, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Kashmore, Larkana, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Naushahro Feroze, Qambar Shahdadkot, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Shikarpur, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Thatta and Umerkot. Its objectives include restoring and rehabilitating road infrastructure to ensure all-weather connectivity, improving access to markets and social services, reducing travel time and costs, and supporting agricultural and broader socio-economic recovery in flood-hit areas.
The CDWP approved the project titled “Improvement and Rehabilitation of BT Road from Liari to Lakhra and Uthal to Lakhra, District Lasbela,” to be executed in Balochistan at a cost of Rs3,515.067 million. The project, to be financed through the PSDP, aims to connect Lakhra tehsil with the district headquarters at Uthal and the Makran Coastal Highway.
The area was severely affected by floods in 2022, which disrupted mobility and economic activity. The rehabilitation of this road is expected to facilitate the transport of agricultural produce from Lakhra, an important agricultural hub, to markets, while improving access to education, healthcare and employment opportunities for local communities.
The meeting also considered the revised PC-I of the Winder Dam Project in Balochistan, with a total cost of Rs21,621.588 million, which was recommended to ECNEC.
The project will be financed through the PSDP, while land acquisition, command area development, security costs and provincial taxes will be borne by the Government of Balochistan. The dam is expected to contribute to water storage, irrigation development and improved water availability for agriculture and domestic use, thereby supporting livelihoods and enhancing resilience in the surrounding areas.
CDWP approved selection committee for Seerat Chairs. Under PSDP project, nine Seerat chairs are being established: Leadership and Governance, Human Rights and Justice, Education and Knowledge, Social Justice and Welfare, Global Peace, Inter-Faith and Communal Harmony, Business, Commerce and Property Rights, Sustainable Development, and Gender Studies and Women’s Rights.
The purpose of establishing Seerat Chairs is to develop a body of knowledge from Seerat Studies in light of contemporary challenges and issues.
The Planning Minister directed that the Digital Media Unit should be established in the Seerat Centre to acquaint the new generation with Seerat and informing global audience about the timeless teachings of the Prophet Mohammad and remove misconceptions about Islam. The Minister also directed that the selection of Seerat Scholars should be completed within three weeks.
Concluding the meeting, Prof Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that development planning would continue to prioritise projects that strengthen human capital, restore climate-resilient infrastructure, and promote inclusive growth.