Islamabad, October 10,2026: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Saturday approved 11 development projects across Pakistan in the energy, roads, water, health, urban development and forensic science sectors.
Among the key projects approved for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the construction of the 40.8-megawatt Koto Hydropower Project in Lower Dir.
In Balochistan, the committee approved the rehabilitation and remodelling of the Lasbela Canal, a water supply scheme for Gwadar from Mirani Dam, and construction of the Buleda–Proom and Proom–Chedgai roads.
The approved projects also included the development of 100-megawatt distributed solar photovoltaic plants in Gilgit-Baltistan and installation of reactive power compensation devices in the National Grid Company (NGC) network.
ECNEC further approved the Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement Project (PULSE), construction and upgradation of the Dirgi–Shahbozai–Taunsa Sharif road, establishment of the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Hospital in Tarlai, Islamabad, and construction of a purpose-built laboratory for the National Forensic Agency.
Addressing the meeting, Dar emphasized the importance of completing development projects within their stipulated timelines and avoiding cost overruns.
He directed the relevant authorities to maintain financial discipline and remove procedural bottlenecks, stressing that development initiatives should deliver tangible benefits to the public.
The meeting was attended by the federal minister for planning, development and special initiatives, Punjab’s senior minister, Balochistan’s minister for planning and development, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, the secretaries of Cabinet, Planning and Economic Affairs, the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), and senior officials from provincial governments and relevant federal ministries and divisions.
