A joint progress review meeting of the Project “Settlement & Digitization of Land Record in Merged Districts” and LRMA held under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Muhammad Zubair Asghar Qureshi.
Chief Economist Planning and Development Department, Mr. Muhammad Ali Asghar, representatives from Board of Revenue, project and USAID, and relevant section attended the meeting.
Additional Chief Secretary was thoroughly briefed regarding progress made under the project at large and particularly in multiple sub divisions of newly merged districts. Additional Chief Secretary directed to enhance the coordination among various stakeholders and expedite the activities.
The participants of the 33rd Senior Management Course, National Institute of Management (NIM) visited Peshawar today. A meeting was held with them under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Muhammad Zubair Asghar Qureshi. Secretary Home, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Abid Majeed, and Chief Economist Planning and Development Department, Mr. Muhammad Ali Asghar, also attended the meeting. During the session, the participants were briefed about the Provincial Government’s administrative procedures and development plans.
In addition to the briefing, a question-and-answer session was also held during the session.
In the seventh session of the Provincial Development Working Party, more than 10 billion projects were approved. On the special instructions of the Caretaker Minister for Planning and Development Mr. Syed Hamid Shah, approval was given in the light of the rules set by the Election Commission. The approval was given in a PDWP meeting chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Muhammad Zubair Asghar Qureshi. Seven important projects related to rural development, irrigation, and interior were approved. Among the approved projects are feasibility studies for setting up of Provincial Court Complex in all the divisional headquarters of the province, Police Station Bahrain, payment of decree money for acquisition of land for construction of Swat, Central Jail Haripur, and rehabilitation of children in Bannu. Plans for the establishment of Juvenile Centers, and land acquisition for the construction of the Forensic Science Laboratory in Peshawar were approved. Apart from this, in the meeting, approval was also given for the upgradation and improvement of the damaged flood protection structure and drainage system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The caretaker government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is taking necessary steps for public welfare despite the difficult economic conditions.
Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry presided over a meeting on preventive measures to avoid monsoon rains and flood damages. All institutions should complete the preliminary measures in time to avoid damages due to stormy rains, wind, and floods, the chief secretary said. The chief secretary was informed that in the PDWP meeting, the most necessary projects to deal with the flood situation have been approved. Measures should be taken in view of the arrival of tourists in the tourist districts the chief secretary said.
Additional Chief Secretary, Secretary Irrigation, Relief, C&W including Army, FC, Rescue, and PDMA officials participated in the meeting while commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through a video link.
the chief secretary said that cracks in safety dams in Nowshera should be repaired immediately. The construction of safety dams and safety arrangements along the Swat River were reviewed in the meeting. the chief secretary was briefed that steps are being taken to restore the road passing through Bahrain Bazar in Swat. the chief secretary said that the availability of funds for flood prevention is being ensured. Necessary measures were reviewed in areas where there is a risk of flash floods including Chitral, Swat, DI Khan, Tank, Charsadda, and Nowshera. the chief secretary said that in flood-prone districts, the administration should ensure adequate stock of food items, petrol, and medicines in advance. In the meeting, a briefing was given on Monsoon Plan and Urban Flooding Plan by the Relief Department. the chief secretary said that the availability of swimmers including sandbags, life jackets, boats, dewatering pumps, and other necessary equipment and machinery should be ensured. he further added that timely measures are necessary to minimize the damages caused by climate change.
The 8th Project Steering Committee Meeting of the Governance and Policy Project was conducted under chairmanship of Mr. Muhammad Zubair Asghar Qureshi, the Additional Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting was attended by Mr. Muhammad Ali Asghar, the Chief Economist of Planning and Development Department, along with representatives from the Governance Policy Project (GPP) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Merged Areas.
During the meeting, Project Directors of GPP KP and FATA highlighted major interventions of the project aimed at strengthening the capacity for the collection of sales taxes on services. Additionally, they discussed initiatives to improve public investment management and enhance accountability within the system.
M&E Meeting on ICT-Based Improved Agricultural Extension was held and chaired by the Director General (DG) of Monitoring and Evaluation. The meeting focused on the implementation and progress of the ICT-based improved agricultural extension project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan.
During the meeting, various stakeholders, including representatives from the agriculture department, ICT specialists, agricultural extension officers, gathered to discuss the progress made so far, key achievements, challenges encountered, and the way forward.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Establishes Pioneering Climate Change Cell in Planning and Development Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
In a historic move towards bolstering climate resilience and sustainable development, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has launched a dedicated Climate Change Cell within the Planning and Development Department. The Climate Change Cell is the first of its kind in the region and aims to tackle the challenges posed by climate change while integrating climate considerations into development, planning and budgeting. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Head of Development Cooperation-Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Sebastian Paust, Additional Chief Secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Muhammad Zubair Asghar Qureshi and representatives from development partners and government departments.
The establishment of the Climate Change Cell is made possible through funding from the esteemed German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the unwavering support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fÞr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). This partnership marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between Pakistan and Germany in addressing the pressing global issue of climate change.
The Additional Chief Secretary stated on the launch occasion, “The Climate Change Cell is a much-needed initiative because we are witnessing recent manifestations like 2010 and 2022 floods. We have a long association with GIZ, and they have collaborated with the KP Government in diverse areas. The Climate Change Cell will enable us to address the impacts caused by climate change and improve the climate governance at provincial level.”
The Head of Development Cooperation-Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Sebastian Paust added on the occasion that “GIZ, on behalf of the German government, is collaborating in all such initiatives that help climate resilience. Climate change is a global cause, and we all should play our role. Germany stands by Pakistan in addressing such challenges.”
The newly recruited officers of Provincial Planning Service visited the Planning and Development Department, where they received a comprehensive orientation about the department’s activities. The meeting was held with officers under the chairmanship of Secretary Planning and Development Department, Mr. Khayam Hassan Khan. The newly recruited officers were briefed about the GIS Hub, the Development Projects Management Information System, and the Monitoring and Evaluation System at P&D.
Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah of Pakistan Administrative Service assumed charge as Additional Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The first introductory meeting of the heads and officers of the sections and allied units of the Planning and Development Department was held with the Additional Chief Secretary. In the introductory meeting, development planning in the province and other departmental matters were considered. Secretary P&D Mr. Khayam Hasan Khan and Chief Economist Mr. Muhammad Ali Asghar also participated in the meeting.
In the Department of Planning and Development, Additional Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah has been given detailed briefings regarding the affairs and projects under various sections of P&D. The officers of the International Development Section in AJP&D briefed the Additional Chief Secretary about the progress on various projects. The Additional Chief Secretary emphasized on making a coordinated strategy to complete all the projects and achieve the goals. Secretary P&D Mr. Khayam Hasan Khan and Chief Economist Mr. Muhammad Ali Asghar also participated in the meeting.