The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved 15 development projects valued at Rs34.740 billion and recommended nine major projects with a combined cost of Rs431.022 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further approval. The decisions were made during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, attended by federal secretaries, provincial planning departments, and senior officials.
Approved Projects
The approved projects span critical sectors including fuel, health, information technology, power, transport, and communications, all aligned with the government's URAAN Pakistan reform agenda. Key approvals include:
- Exploration of radioactive minerals in the Marwat Range – Rs1.440 billion
- CT scan and MRI machines in AJK hospitals – Rs5.483 billion
- Prime Minister's E-Sports Arenas and Training Centres – Rs3.167 billion
- Geospatialx Complex GEO-AI Development and Innovation Hub – Rs4.004 billion
- PAKAWAZ secure mobile communication ecosystem – Rs708.7 million
- Frontier Corps Balochistan accommodation – Rs2.019 billion
- 120-bed hospital at Turbat – Rs2.485 billion
- Three-phase AMI meters for LESCO – Rs6.256 billion
- Robotics Centre of Excellence – Rs500 million
- Multiple road construction projects
Projects Recommended to ECNEC
Among the projects forwarded to ECNEC is the Emerging Technologies Data Centre worth Rs7.93 billion, designed to provide secure, sovereign AI and high-performance computing infrastructure for government institutions, academia, and the private sector. The National Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem Development Programme (Rs13 billion) and the Pakistan Communication Satellite-2 project (Rs37.192 billion) with ground control centre upgrades were also recommended.
A major transport sector project, the upgradation of track and allied infrastructure on ML-3 from Rohri to Koh-e-Taftan (996 km) worth Rs278.619 billion, including track renewal and 11 new stations between Spezand and Taftan, was recommended. It will be implemented in two phases from 2026 to 2033.
The construction of the Mashkel-Chedgi Road (108.5 km) worth Rs43.647 billion, with 90% financing from the Saudi Fund for Development, was recommended, along with the Rathoa Haryam Bridge project in Mirpur AJK worth Rs10.867 billion.
Revival of Stalled Projects
Minister Ahsan Iqbal noted that the Rathoa Haryam Bridge project had been stalled since 2018 and was revived after the present government assumed office in April 2022. Originally initiated in 2006, the project has now been physically completed with a revised cost of Rs9.98 billion, fully funded through the Public Sector Development Programme.
The minister emphasized that the approved projects align with URAAN Pakistan's vision for digital transformation, modern infrastructure, and sustainable economic growth.
