The Central Development Working Party has forwarded the Ministry of Planning’s five-year 2022–2027 plan, which includes special development measures for Pakistan’s 20 poorest districts and has been sent to ECNEC for approval.
The first phase of the project is expected to cost $40 billion and will be finished with a 50/50 cost split between the federal and provincial governments.
While presiding over the meeting, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal stated that the CDWP is the first project of its sort in Pakistan’s economic history where the federal government is taking active steps to uplift the poorest districts.
The 20 districts included 11 from Balochistan, five from Sindh, three from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one from Punjab.
Recent flood disasters, particularly in Balochistan and Sindh have severely impacted many of these districts.
The federal minister added that the major goal of this project is to encourage inclusive growth and equitable development through targeted investments in infrastructure and the advancement of human capital in the nation’s poorest regions.
The initiative aims to decrease regional inequality and increase national cohesion and unity in Pakistan in line with the Pakistan Vision 2025 and the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030.
Other initiatives included in this program are the Pakistan Innovation Fund, 75 National Top Talent Scholarships, 250 Mini Sports Complex Initiatives, and 2,000 internships for young engineers.
