Latest news with #AwaisManzurSumra
Business Recorder
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Chinese experts' report: Minister reviews finalisation of sectoral action plan
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, chaired a high-level meeting in Islamabad to review the implementation and finalisation of the sectoral action plan based on the Chinese experts' Report. The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, Vice Chancellor PIDE, Chief Economist, Project Director CPEC Secretariat, and senior officials from various ministries and divisions. The report shared by the Chinese Embassy was prepared by Chinese Working Teams following their visit to Pakistan to assess potential areas of enhanced economic cooperation. The report outlined key observations and recommendations in different sectors such as connectivity, the development of a national agricultural plan, Gwadar Port linkages, IT collaboration, and other strategic areas. Ministries were requested to review the report and provide feedback. In line with the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, 10 federal focal groups were constituted to develop sector-specific action plans in response to the technical assessments presented by the Chinese expert teams. Since then, the Ministry of Planning under the chairmanship of Minister Ahsan Iqbal has held multiple rounds of meetings to shape the final action plan and has consistently encouraged the ministries to align their inputs with Chinese recommendations and outline a clear path forward. During the meeting, all relevant ministries discussed the sectoral suggestions made by the Chinese teams and presented updates on their respective projects. Minister Ahsan Iqbal directed that each ministry must prepare a comprehensive response based on the Chinese Experts' Report so that the CPEC Secretariat can compile and submit a unified, detailed reply to the Chinese side. He also directed that China should be formally informed about the progress made by Pakistan on the recommendations, and efforts should be made to fully capitalize on the areas and projects for which China has already expressed willingness to cooperate. The meeting marks a significant step towards deepening Pakistan-China economic cooperation and ensuring that both sides move forward with a shared understanding and commitment to mutual development goals. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Daanish Schools: CDWP approves six projects worth Rs19.253bn
ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved six development projects related to Daanish Schools at cost of Rs19.253 billion. The CDWP met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal in the chair at P-Block Secretariat on Thursday. The projects were presented by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training and were cleared at the CDWP level. The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzur Sumra, Chief Economist, Vice Chancellor PIDE, members of the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, heads of provincial Planning and Development departments, and senior representatives from relevant federal ministries and provincial governments. The approved projects include: (1) Establishment of Danish Schools at District Kan Mehtarzai, Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan at cost of Rs2.93 billion; (2) Establishment of Danish Schools at District Sibi, Balochistan at cost of Rs3.352 billion; (3) Establishment of Daanish School at Azad Jammu and Kashmir worth Rs3.043 billion; (4) Establishment of Daanish School at Baiker, District Dera Bugti, Balochistan valued atRs2.666 billion; (5) Establishment of Daanish School at District Musakhel, Balochistan worth Rs3.631 billion, and (6) Establishment of Danish Schools at District Zhob, Balochistan worth Rs3.632 billion. All six projects are based on a 50:50 cost-sharing formula between the federal government and the respective provincial governments. In line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's initiative to provide a high-quality education system across the country, the Punjab government had earlier established a wide network of Daanish Schools, the largest system of free boarding schools for boys and girls in Pakistan. Now, other provinces are also taking steps to replicate this model to support talented students from underprivileged backgrounds. The federal government also plans to establish new Daanish Schools in underserved districts. For this purpose, land has been proposed and detailed visits will be conducted during the feasibility stage. These schools will move beyond traditional rote learning methods and promote 21st Century education models by integrating technology to improve delivery and track student progress. The core objective of the project is to set up fully functional boarding schools with staff residential facilities, equipped with modern education systems. These institutions will serve both boys and girls from Grade 6 to 12. Each school is envisioned as a model institution that combines advanced learning technologies with traditional values, focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy, all within a safe and inspiring learning environment. While reviewing the proposals, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that more than 25 million children in Pakistan are currently out of school, which is a serious national concern. He stressed that raising the literacy rate to 90 percent is essential for the country's development. He reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to invest in education and support the provinces in building modern, quality institutions such as Daanish Schools under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
21-06-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
CDWP clears five projects costing Rs55bn
ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) cleared five development projects at a total cost of Rs55.164 billion. The CDWP approved two development projects of value Rs7.725 billion and recommended three projects at the cost of Rs47.439 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval. The CDWP met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, in the chair at P-Block Secretariat. CDWP approves eight development projects The meeting was attended by Awais Manzur Sumra, Secretary Planning, along with Chief Economist, VC PIDE, other members of the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, heads of Provincial Planning and Development (P&D) boards/departments, and senior representatives from relevant federal ministries and provincial governments. The agenda focused on development projects across key sectors, including environment, food and agriculture, health and physical planning and housing. A project related to environment sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Installation of Weather Surveillance Radar at Sukkur in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan – Revised' at cost of Rs5.73 billion was approved by CDWP forum. Another project of the PP&H sector presented in the forum namely, 'Special Development Initiatives for Backward/ Poor District in Country (50:50)' worth Rs1,999.988 million was approved by the CDWP for Kashmore District, Sindh. The deputy chairman Planning Commission (DCPC) formed a committee to oversee and confirm scope and cost along with the design and construction of the project. A project related to health sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Expansion of Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD), Rawalpindi' at an estimated cost of Rs25.458 billion and in-principal recommended to the ECNEC with concerns and funding confirmation. The upgradation and expansion of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD) aims to significantly enhance the hospital's capacity and quality of care to meet growing cardiac healthcare demands over the next two decades. Key objectives include increasing indoor bed capacity from 420 to 800, establishing 10 state-of-the-art modular operation theatres, enhancing diagnostic capabilities with advanced MRI and CT scanners, expanding outpatient services with 20 additional specialist clinics, and upgrading the angiography setup and compliance with international healthcare standards such as JCIA, FGI, and ASHRAE. The minister accorded in-principle approval and formed a committee to rationalise cost/ scope and directed the sponsors to explore alternative financing options for the project in view of tight resource position for PSDP funding. A project related to food and agriculture sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Balochistan Livelihoods and Entrepreneurship Project' recommended to ECNEC at a revised cost of Rs12.462 billion. The project source of financing is through World Bank and International Development Association (IDA) and MDTF. The main objective of the project is to promote employment opportunities for rural communities and ensure the sustainability of enterprises in eight districts of Balochistan including Chagai, Qilla Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, Mastung, Nushki, Pishin, Sherani, and Zhob. The project aims to benefit rural households by supporting livelihoods through enterprise development and job creation. Another project of physical planning and housing sector presented namely, 'Construction of New Balochistan Assembly at Quetta' worth Rs9.52 billion in-principal approved the project and recommended to ECNEC for further considerations. The main objective of the project is to construct a new assembly building being planned in Quetta to replace the existing structure, can no longer accommodate the full strength of assembly members. The proposed facility, spanning a covered area of 250,000 square feet across a double basement, ground, first, and second floors, will feature a modern Main Assembly Hall with increased seating capacity, dedicated chambers for the chief minister, speaker, and deputy speaker, ministerial offices, administrative areas with a conference hall, and comprehensive parking and allied infrastructure. While reviewing the project, DCPC Ahsan Iqbal also constituted a committee to rationalise its cost scope before submission to the ECNEC for final approval and directed that top quality consulting firms should be engaged for designing and supervision work. New Balochistan Assembly building will be a gift of the federal government for the people of Balochistan. PM Shehbaz Sharif gave approval for the funding of the project. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
14-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
CDWP approves eight development projects
ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved eight development projects at a cost of Rs25.191 billion and recommended a project at cost of Rs10.671 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval. The CDWP met here with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal in the chair. The meeting was attended by Awais Manzur Sumra, Secretary Planning, along with Chief Economist, VC PIDE, other members of the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, heads of Provincial Planning and Development (P&D) boards/ departments, and senior representatives from relevant federal ministries and provincial governments. CDWP approves 15 uplift projects worth Rs422.704 billion The agenda focused on development projects across key sectors, including food and agriculture, higher education, information technology, power, and transport and communications. A project related to food and agriculture presented in the meeting namely, 'Speed Breeding Platform for Development of Climate Smart Hybrids Crops' worth Rs990 million approved by the CDWP. The minister directed that all stakeholders including private sector should be engaged in setting research and seed development agenda at NIAB. 'We need to develop high weather resistant and productivity seeds using hybrid technology,' he said A project related to higher education sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Dr A Q Khan Institute of Materials & Emerging Sciences' worth Rs3,538.364 million was approved by the CDWP forum. Dr AQ Khan Institute of Materials & Emerging Sciences will be established in Quaid-i-Azam University and provide state-of-the-art education and research facilities in material and emerging sciences. University of Cambridge, UK, agreed to provide technical assistance when Minister Planning visited that university last year. A project related to information technology sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Digitalisation of In-House Processes & Automation of Examination System of Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC)' worth Rs3047.772 million approved by the forum. The project shall improve the overall governance paradigm of the federal government through speedy recruitment process, provision of quality human resource to the Federal Ministries/ Divisions/ Departments in minimum possible time with ease and transparency. Moreover, the project has been designed keeping in view the vision of the federal government for e-governance under the digitalisation drive. This project also serves the objectives as envisioned in Digital Pakistan Policy & Vision 2025. The project shall enhance the functional capacity of FPSC and modernise its processes through business process reengineering (BPR). The minister emphasised that this step is essential for achieving long-term operational efficiency which will benefit the entire government by cutting delays in recruitment processes and aligns with the broader government's governance reform agenda. A project related to science and technology presented in the meeting namely, 'NILOP - PIEAS Emerging Technologies Centre' worth Rs.3385 million approved by the forum. The minister said it is vital that we develop strong technological capability for meeting challenges of the new digital and industrial revolution 4.0 and 5.0. A project related to Special areas (GB) presented in the meeting namely, '16-MW Hydropower Project Nalter-III Gilgit' was recommended to ECNEC at revised cost of Rs.1,0671.357 million. The scope of work includes construction of a 54-meter-long connecting canal linking the weir to a single-chamber sedimentation basin, which is 84 meters long, 6 meters wide, and 5 meters deep, designed to remove sediment particles larger than 0.2 mm. A gravel trap is provided at the end of the canal. This project will help in addressing energy shortages in GB. Four projects related to transport and communications were approved by the forum during the meeting. The projects named 'Widening/ carpeting of Booni Buzund Torkhow Road in District Chitral Upper- 28Km' worth Rs1,894.148 million, 'Constriction of Black Top Northern Bypass Road Loralai (15.50 Km)' worth Rs3828.165 million, 'Extension of Margalla Highway from GT Road (N-5) to Motorway (M-1); (Punjab Limits), (Length: 2.5 Km)' worth Rs7106.374 million and 'Feasibility Study for Trans Afghan Rail connectivity from Kharlachi (Pakistan) to Mazar-e-Shairf (Afghanistan) via Logar (677 Kms Approx.)' worth Rs1401.400 million, which is part of multi-modal regional connectivity framework under URAAN Pakistan initiative were presented. The forum also cleared the concept paper related to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training titled, 'Action to Strengthen Performance for Inclusive and Responsive Education', funded by the World Bank. While reviewing the project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, emphasised the need to transform Islamabad's education system into a model for other provinces. He questioned whether the current system in the federal capital is exemplary enough to be replicated nationwide and stressed that educational reforms in Islamabad should serve as a benchmark across the country. Ahsan Iqbal expressed concern that education offices have become centres for issuing transfer orders, rather than hubs of innovation and technological integration. While acknowledging improvements in some urban schools of Islamabad, he pointed out that rural schools in the capital territory remain in poor condition. The minister gave the Ministry of Education a one-month deadline to present a comprehensive roadmap for educational reforms in Islamabad, with the goal of setting an example that can be replicated across all provinces. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
CDWP clears seven projects worth Rs104bn
ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) cleared seven development projects at cost of Rs104 billion. The CDWP approved four development projects at cost of Rs8 billion and referred three major projects at cost of Rs96 billon to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for final consideration and approval. The CDWP met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal in the chair at P-Block Secretariat. CDWP approves four projects worth Rs21.83bn The meeting was attended by Awais Manzur Sumra, Secretary Planning, along with Chief Economist, other members of the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, heads of provincial planning and development (P&D) departments, and senior representatives from relevant federal ministries and provincial governments. The agenda focused on development projects across key sectors, including industries and production, information technology and transport and communications. Two projects related to industries and commerce accorded the approval namely, '1,000 Industrial Stitching Units (Phase-II)' at cost of Rs1,950 million and 'Acquisition of Land for Establishment of SME Facilitation Centres at Various Locations' worth Rs1,250 million. Two projects related to information technology approved in the meeting namely, 'Development of Pakistan Lunar Exploration Rover (PLExR) for Chang'E-8 Mission' worth Rs2,535 million and 'Pakistan Manned Space Mission' worth Rs2,243.20 million. Three projects related to transport and communications presented in the CDWP forum namely, 'Improvement of Road from Sanghar to National Highway N-5 at Point Rohri via Mundh Jamrao and Saleput 0.00 to 221.00 kms' recommended to the Ecnec at revised cost of Rs36,910.449 million. The road connecting Sanghar Mundh Jamrao to Rohri Toll Plaza in District Sukkur is a vital corridor linking numerous villages and towns across Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Khairpur, and Sukkur. Over time, the road has deteriorated significantly due to wear and the heavy rainfall in Lower Sindh in 2011, resulting in potholes, surface undulations, and eroded berms. The revised project includes a New Jersey barrier, a new pre-stressed bridge, and a provision for design, drawing, and supervision. Once completed, this corridor will enhance connectivity between eastern Sindh and upper Pakistan, playing a crucial role in the transportation of Thar coal for power generation and contributing significantly to regional infrastructure development and economic growth. Another project of transport and communication sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Construction of Additional Carriageway along Mehran Highway from Nawabshah to Ranipur (135.0 Kms (Revised)' was referred to ECNEC at revised cost of Rs41,034.440 million. The revised project envisages the dualisation of 135 km of Mehran Highway road from Nawabshah to Ranipur, including widening of the road by 4.95 metres on each side, overlaying of the existing 3.35-metrewide road, and construction of 3.5-metre-wide shoulders on both sides. The scope of work includes the construction of New Jersey barriers, bypasses, RCC bridges, pre-stressed concrete bridges, RCC culverts, drainage and erosion control works, embankments, retaining walls, watercourse protection, and stone pitching. It also encompasses provision of guard rails, lane marking, cat-eyes, village traffic signboards, gantries, cantilever boards, and the shifting or rerouting of Sui gas lines and optical fibre cables. Another project of T&C sector presented in the meeting namely, 'Improvement of Road from Rohri to Guddu Barrage @ M-5 Interchange Sadiqabad via Khanpur Mahar, Mirpur Mathelo & Mureed Shakh (150.00 Kms)' was referred to ECNEC at revised cost of Rs17,971.360 million. This strategic road project is expected to significantly improve regional connectivity and support economic development across northern Sindh and adjoining areas. During a comprehensive review of transport and communications sector projects, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal, directed the member infrastructure to review construction schedule rates of federal and provincial governments and notifying new schedule of rates based on market rates. The deputy chairman underscored the importance of this analysis for ensuring cost-efficiency and fiscal responsibility in infrastructure development. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
