Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday stressed on the importance of development projects that create long-term economic benefits for local communities.
Chairing a meeting to review the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2024-25, the minister assessed third-quarter utilization, proposed projects, and future allocations for PSDP 2025-26. He directed the Economic Section to evaluate fund utilization, provide an update on block allocations, and submit a status report on the fourth-quarter release.
During the meeting, Iqbal emphasized the importance of productive investments and directed prioritizing national level and strategic initiatives by blocking budgets for these for each province and federating unit. He noted that addressing energy challenges in Gilgit-Baltistan remains a critical priority and directed focusing on projects aimed at resolving this issue.
To ensure an efficient and well-coordinated development framework, Iqbal instructed the convening of meetings with all federal secretaries to align ministerial priorities for PSDP 2025-26. He also emphasized strengthening the evaluation process in the Intelligent Project Automation System, directing that only PC-1s meeting the required criteria should be included and the system further automated through the integration of Artificial Intelligence to enhance transparency and efficiency.
In the education sector, Iqbal stressed on the need to review stalled projects and initiatives aimed at out-of-school children, ensuring timely intervention. He also reiterated the importance of merit-based selection for scholarship programs, ensuring that public funds are utilized prudently and effectively.
To enhance project oversight, the planning minister called for an audit of slow-moving projects and emphasized leveraging SUPARCO’s space technology to monitor on-ground project progress. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to utilizing modern technological solutions for transparent and results-driven development.