Islamabad: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved ten development projects totaling Rs 249.17 billion, with a focus on technological advancement and infrastructure development. Chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, the meeting cleared four projects worth Rs 21.83 billion, while recommending six projects, valued at approximately Rs 227.34 billion, to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further approval.

Among the approved projects is the “Expansion of Safe City, Islamabad,” an initiative aimed at enhancing surveillance across the capital. This project, valued at Rs 7499.339 million, seeks to cover all major areas, ensuring comprehensive security coverage.

A significant highlight is the establishment of the National Center for Quantum Computing, a Rs 3318.363 million project. Professor Iqbal emphasized the center’s role in securing the country’s technological future and its potential in sectors like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. He noted that the center would promote innovation and public-private-academic collaboration, crucial for Pakistan’s technological advancement.

The CDWP also referred a revised higher education project, the “Higher Education Development in Pakistan,” to ECNEC, along with infrastructure projects such as the dualization of roads and the development of a controlled access corridor in Lahore. These projects aim to improve connectivity and economic growth.

In addition, the forum approved a project for the rehabilitation of track maintenance machines for Pakistan Railways, and a new component for the Punjab Clean Air Program, highlighting a commitment to environmental sustainability.

The strategic vision for these initiatives aligns with Professor Iqbal’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s digital and infrastructural landscape, building on previous successes in artificial intelligence and digital technologies.