The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), in a meeting chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, has greenlit eight major development projects worth Rs 25.19 billion, aimed at accelerating progress in energy, education, transport, agriculture, and information technology. Additionally, a Rs 10.67 billion hydropower initiative in Gilgit-Baltistan was recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.
Among the approved initiatives is a Rs 990 million agriculture project focused on speed breeding climate-resilient hybrid crops. This venture is expected to bolster food security by developing varieties capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions driven by climate change.
In the education sector, Rs 3.53 billion has been allocated to establish the Dr A.Q. Khan Institute of Materials & Emerging Sciences at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU). The institute will benefit from academic collaboration with the University of Cambridge, with an emphasis on cutting-edge research in science and technology.
Digital governance also received a boost, with Rs 3.04 billion approved to digitalize the Federal Public Service Commission’s (FPSC) examination system. Furthermore, Rs 3.38 billion has been sanctioned for setting up a national center for emerging technologies at NILOP-PIEAS. These initiatives support the government’s broader Digital Pakistan vision.
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In the transport and energy sectors, the CDWP endorsed multiple road infrastructure projects and the 16 MW Nalter-III Hydropower Project. These developments are expected to improve connectivity and enhance electricity supply in Gilgit-Baltistan. The committee also backed a World Bank-supported education reform project for Islamabad, intended to serve as a model for replication across other provinces.