ISLAMABAD: The government has approved two Daanish School projects, one in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and the second in Sindh.
Two projects related to the Education & Training sector were presented at the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) of the Planning Commission here on Wednesday.
The first revised project, namely “Establishment of Daanish School in ICT Kuri” worth Rs 6,996.586 million, was approved by the forum strictly based on the Prime Minister’s directions, with approval granted only for the girls’ hostel component.
During the review, Ahsan Iqbal, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, directed the relevant department to ensure that all Daanish Schools follow a standardised model in terms of structure, cost, and scope.
He emphasised that no additional cost beyond the approved component would be allowed, reiterating that only the girls’ hostel, as per the Prime Minister’s directives, stands approved. He further directed the Ministry of Education to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to develop a comprehensive five-year financial plan and assess the funding requirements for all Daanish Schools. Highlighting the shrinking size of the PSDP, he stressed the need for fiscal discipline and cautioned against any cost escalations in PSDP projects. He also directed the authorities to submit a detailed operational and budgetary plan within two weeks.
The second project in the Education & Training sector presented at the meeting, namely “Establishment of Daanish School at Sindh (Tandoo Muhammad Khan)” worth Rs 3,693.836 million, was approved by the forum with the direction to rationalise the project cost in line with the PC-I of other Daanish Schools, ensuring consistency in structure, scope, and financial estimates.
A revised project of the Health Sector, namely “Sindh Health Support Programme” worth Rs 2,266.997 million, was approved by the forum. The project is primarily financed through foreign funding by the World Bank amounting to Rs 2,100.539 million, while the Government of Sindh will contribute Rs 166.458 million as its share.
While reviewing the project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, highlighted that the health sector is a key pillar of the government’s development agenda under the URAAN Pakistan initiative. He emphasised that strengthening healthcare systems is essential for improving human capital and ensuring inclusive and sustainable development across the country.
Two projects related to the Physical Planning & Housing sector were presented at the meeting and approved by the forum. The first, a revised project titled “Construction of Federal Tribunals/Courts Complex at Hayatabad, Peshawar” worth Rs 628.816 million, received approval. The second, a new project titled “Construction of Model Prison H-16 Islamabad” worth Rs 7,399.120 million, was also approved by the forum.
The agenda included projects from all sectors, including Education & Training, Governance, Health, Physical Planning & Housing, and Governance. They were aligned with the government’s broader development vision and reform agenda under URAAN Pakistan, which focuses on strengthening human capital, modernising governance, improving infrastructure, and promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth. A new project related to the Environment sector presented at the forum, namely “Air Quality Monitoring Network for Air Quality Management Improvement in Sindh” worth Rs 1,418.400 million, was conditionally approved by the forum with the directions of DCPC to coordinate with EAD for required funding for this project.
A new project related to the Governance sector titled “Strengthening of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) (Development Component)”, with a total cost of Rs 1,981.650 million, was approved by the forum. The approval is subject to the condition that the cost of ammunition be rationalised and revised according to the forum’s directions.
