Islamabad: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved eight new projects, which total more than PKR 144 billion in development funds. These projects span various sectors including education, health, and infrastructure, signaling a significant investment in national development initiatives.

According to Zameen.Com, the approval was granted in a session led by the Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal. The CDWP has directly approved five projects worth PKR 15.35 billion and recommended three larger projects, totaling PKR 129 billion, to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.

Among the notable projects is the educational initiative “Reaching Out of School Children in AJK,” budgeted at PKR 7.18 billion. In the health sector, the “Establishment of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research” in Lahore, with a project cost of PKR 52.77 billion, stands out as it awaits ECNEC’s nod, to be funded by the Provincial Annual Development Program.

Further investments in technology and infrastructure include the establishment of four national centers focusing on artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, automation, and cybersecurity with combined funding exceeding PKR 8 billion. Additionally, large-scale infrastructure projects like the “Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project Phase-II” and the “Kachhi Canal Project Restoration of Flood Damages 2022” are under consideration for World Bank financing and ECNEC approval, emphasizing the country’s commitment to upgrading its transport and communications infrastructure.