The Planning Commission has disclosed that the total cost to complete 1,071 development projects across Pakistan exceeds Rs. 13,815 billion, a figure nearly ten times greater than the current Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) budget.

According to official documents, an additional Rs. 8,935 billion is required to finish these projects, with a projected completion date of 2035, assuming an annual development budget of Rs. 1,000 billion is consistently allocated.

The documents reveal that Rs. 375 billion has already been spent on these initiatives. Furthermore, Rs. 1,173 billion is needed for projects undertaken in collaboration with provincial governments.

The cost breakdown by region is as follows: Balochistan has 200 projects requiring Rs. 1,048 billion, Punjab has 172 projects needing Rs. 707 billion, Sindh’s 117 projects will cost Rs. 613 billion, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 101 projects require Rs. 642 billion. Additionally, Azad Jammu and Kashmir need Rs. 44 billion for its development schemes, while Gilgit-Baltistan requires Rs. 443 billion for 37 projects.

For the current fiscal year, the expected allocations are Rs. 171 billion for Sindh, Rs. 129 billion for Balochistan, Rs. 118 billion for Punjab, Rs. 52 billion for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs. 44 billion for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Rs. 65 billion for Gilgit-Baltistan. An additional Rs. 74 billion is earmarked for the merged districts.

This substantial funding requirement underscores the significant financial challenges facing the completion of these development projects, highlighting the need for strategic planning and efficient resource allocation to meet the 2035 completion target.