In a significant move to propel national development, the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved eight major projects worth Rs 25.191 billion and recommended another costing Rs 10.671 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval. The approvals span crucial sectors including IT, science, energy, infrastructure, and education, signaling a push towards modernization and regional connectivity.
A flagship project approved involves the Rs 3.048 billion “Digitalization of In-House Processes & Automation of Examination System of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC)”. Ministers emphasized this initiative is vital for long-term operational efficiency, promising a faster, more transparent recruitment process for federal ministries. The project, aligning with the Digital Pakistan Policy and Vision 2025, aims to enhance FPSC’s capacity through business process reengineering, ultimately improving governance by delivering quality human resources swiftly. The science and technology sector received a boost with the Rs 3.385 billion approval for the “NILOP – PIEAS Emerging Technologies Centre,” deemed essential for building Pakistan’s capability to meet the challenges of the digital and industrial revolutions (4.0 and 5.0).
Addressing energy needs in remote areas, the CDWP recommended the revised Rs 10.671 billion “16-MW Hydropower Project Nalter-III Gilgit” to ECNEC. This project in Gilgit-Baltistan includes constructing a connecting canal, sedimentation basin, and gravel trap, targeting persistent energy shortages. Infrastructure development featured prominently with four transport and communication projects approved: the Rs 1.894 billion widening/carpeting of the 28km Booni Buzund Torkhow Road in Upper Chitral; the Rs 3.828 billion construction of the 15.50km Northern Bypass Road Loralai; the Rs 7.106 billion extension of Margalla Highway (2.5km) connecting GT Road to Motorway M-1; and a Rs 1.401 million feasibility study for the Trans-Afghan Rail link from Kharlachi (Pakistan) to Mazar-e-Sharif (Afghanistan) via Logar – a key part of the regional URAAN connectivity initiative.
Alongside physical infrastructure, the CDWP cleared a concept paper for the Ministry of Federal Education titled “Action to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive and Responsive Education,” funded by the World Bank. Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal, however, issued a stark challenge during the review. Criticising education offices for becoming mere “centres for issuing transfer orders” instead of innovation hubs, and highlighting the poor state of rural Islamabad schools despite urban improvements, Iqbal demanded transformative reform. He questioned if Islamabad’s system was exemplary enough for nationwide replication and set a one-month deadline for the ministry to present a comprehensive roadmap, aiming to make the capital’s education system a model benchmark for all provinces.
