The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved and recommended five development schemes with a combined estimated cost of more than Rs60 billion, covering transport, urban infrastructure, water supply, healthcare and education.
The projects were reviewed at a meeting chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on August 31. Three schemes worth around Rs11.7 billion were approved by the CDWP, while two projects costing approximately Rs48.5 billion were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
The approved infrastructure portfolio includes a road development project in Orakzai aimed at improving regional connectivity and access. In Karachi, the Rs19.55 billion Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project (KNIP), supported by World Bank financing, focuses on upgrading urban infrastructure and municipal services in selected areas and is nearing completion.
Water infrastructure was also a key focus, with approval for a project to supply Gwadar with water from Mirani Dam through a 125-kilometre pipeline. The initiative aims to improve the availability and reliability of water in the port city. The CDWP also directed authorities to conduct a detailed assessment for a wastewater treatment facility in Gwadar to improve wastewater management and reduce the environmental impact of untreated discharge.
