PESHAWAR: Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi chaired a high-level meeting of the Planning and Development Department to review and finalise a comprehensive array of new development projects across multiple sectors, setting a strategic roadmap for the province’s progress.
During the session, the Chief Minister took a firm stance, declaring that the upcoming 2026-27 budget must be meticulously prepared to prioritise the welfare of the youth, the underprivileged, and the middle class. The comprehensive discussion spanned the proposed initiatives of the Excise, Local Government, Climate Change, Food, Housing, Interior, Agriculture, Livestock, and Energy Departments, emphasising a holistic approach to provincial growth.
A major focus of the meeting was regional security and infrastructure, with a transformative proposal to convert Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, and the merged districts into Safe Cities. To modernise the province’s food security and logistics, the Chief Minister directed the establishment of an alternative modern warehouse to facilitate the transfer of the existing grain storage from Peshawar, alongside a proposal to build high-tech warehouses at all divisional headquarters. Furthermore, the Excise Department is considering a scheme to purchase land for eight new excise stations across various districts, while the interior sector highlighted plans for enhancing jail security, strengthening police stations, providing advanced equipment to the Special Branch, and establishing a dedicated district setup for the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).
The energy sector saw significant attention, with plans for a mini-solar grid in the merged districts, the rehabilitation of micro-hydro power stations in Tirah, and the introduction of new feeder schemes. A landmark proposal to include the 22 MW Patrak Shringal Hydro Power Station was discussed, coupled with a directive to shift all government offices in the merged districts to solar energy. In line with the youth-centric budget vision, the meeting outlined special schemes for promoting modern skills, e-commerce, and vocational training, alongside the establishment of three small industrial estates and the provision of financial assistance and easy business units for young entrepreneurs in the tribal districts.
Environmental and agricultural sustainability were also at the forefront, with plans to establish a Climate Change Authority and revive the Forest Development Corporation. The Chief Minister requested a comprehensive three-year plan to increase forest cover and emphasised involving women in non-timber forest product ventures. For the merged districts, the meeting proposed the creation of fruit and vegetable markets, modern slaughterhouses, and “modern sanitation villages.” In the livestock and agriculture sectors, initiatives include real-time monitoring of animal diseases, biogas projects, interest-free loans for horticulture, and specialised schemes for trout fish promotion, poultry farming, and mobile veterinary clinics. The Chief Minister concluded by ordering the swift completion of the Animal Rights Policy, the fast-tracking of residential solarisation in merged areas, and a detailed feasibility review for further mini and micro-hydropower projects across the province.
