PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has called the 49th provincial cabinet meeting today, Monday, March 9, at 2:00 PM in the Cabinet Room at the Civil Secretariat in Peshawar. Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Sohail Afridi, will preside over the meeting.
The Administration Department issued a notification which states that the meeting will focus on critical development matters that affect the province’s urban infrastructure system and energy sector and health services and educational facilities and social welfare programs. The session will bring together provincial ministers and advisers along with senior officials from relevant departments who will participate in the proceedings.
Key agenda points include approval of funds from the treasury to finance a forensic science laboratory in Peshawar. The objective of this plan is to improve criminal investigation through a more scientific approach, as well as improve the operational capacity of law enforcement agencies.
An update on the Peshawar Revitalization Plan, which involves improving facilities in urban centers and urban development, will be presented to the cabinet. The meeting will evaluate projects dedicated to upgrading Sheikh Maltoon Township in Mardan while assessing the water harvesting unit installation project which receives funding from the Global Adaptation Fund to enhance climate change water resource management.
The agenda includes proposed changes to the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 which seek to correct specific issues present in the marriage certificate document. The feasibility study and design work will be conducted for a new link road which will connect Hayatabad Industrial Estate to the Northern Bypass while building underpasses at major traffic intersections such as Ramdas Chowki and Lahori Chowk.
The cabinet will also discuss infrastructure improvements in Peshawar city, including the construction of memorials, street lighting, and the creation of green spaces. Additionally, projects for cleaning and desilting important waterways in the province will be considered, alongside anticipated amendments to the Debt Management Fund Rules 2024, as proposed by the Finance Department.
The Information and Public Relations Department will present a letter regarding outstanding payments for advertisements by the All Pakistan Newspapers Society. Furthermore, the cabinet will deliberate on approving payments for a closed project related to the establishment of social media platforms for public awareness and promoting civic responsibility.
In the legal and justice sector, the cabinet will consider the proposal for the implementation of a pilot project for dual docket courts in Peshawar and Abbottabad. Also on the agenda is the approval to transfer 100 kanals of government land in Gadi Khas, Munda Tehsil, Lower Dir, for the construction of the Timargara Judicial Complex.
The Health Department will present proposals for new appointments of Principal Medical Officers, as well as the approval for additional funding to upgrade DHQ Hospital Abbottabad to Category A, along with budget allocation for establishing advanced medical facilities, including cardiac and thoracic surgery at Khyber Teaching Hospital.
In the energy sector, the cabinet will consider a proposal to include a project in the annual development program aimed at shifting 120,000 homes in merged districts to solar energy. Additionally, a discussion will take place regarding the exclusion of the Madin and Gabral Kalam Hydropower Projects from the IGC-EP plan and the filing of a petition with the Islamabad High Court in this regard.
Finally, the cabinet will review the release of funds for ongoing projects under the Clean Energy Program.
