Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (PD&SI)/Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Professor Ahsan Iqbal chaired a meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) which approved 16 development projects worth Rs 259.68 billion.
“Out of these, the forum approved 9 projects worth Rs 27.40 billion, while it recommended 7 projects worth Rs.232.28 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for its consideration /approval,” a news release said.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, PIDE Vice Chancellor, Members of the Planning Commission, as well as respective Federal Secretaries, heads of Provincial and P&D representatives from federal ministries and provincial governments.
In his opening remarks, Ahsan Iqbal shared the government’s vision to transform Pakistan into a knowledge economy under the “Uraan Pakistan” initiative.
Highlighting education challenges, he said “Over 25 million children in the country are out of school. The Federal Government, in collaboration with Provinces, will take measures to improve the education sector, including the establishment of Danish Schools in remote areas.”
He paid tribute to Pakistan’s sports talent, declaring Arshad Nadeem a national hero. He remarked, “Despite limited resources, Arshad Nadeem has made the nation proud by winning a gold medal. To honor his achievements, the government is approving the establishment of the ‘Arshad Nadeem/Shahbaz Sharif High-Performance Sports Academy’ at Jinnah Sports Complex Islamabad.—APP
