Pakistan has taken another step toward developing the Rs. 37.19 billion PakSat-2 satellite after the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) forwarded the project to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for consideration.
The project was among seven development schemes reviewed by the CDWP as part of the government’s Uraan Pakistan agenda.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the development of the country’s space program is an important part of the government’s broader development plans.
The CDWP also approved a Rs. 3.62 billion Geo-AI Development and Innovation Hub to strengthen Pakistan’s geospatial capabilities and promote research and innovation in the field.
In higher education, the forum approved a revised plan for the Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Khan Center in Basic Sciences. The project was originally approved in 2018 but could not be completed because of land-related problems.
Iqbal directed officials to revise the project’s scope to include emerging disciplines and review its cost, noting that eight years had passed since its initial approval.
He also asked the Higher Education Commission to identify universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan for establishing similar centers.
The minister further directed authorities to upgrade laboratories at five engineering universities and stressed the need for universities to play a greater role in research, innovation and commercialization.
The CDWP also approved a Rs. 5.01 billion project to expand commercial-scale olive cultivation in Pakistan. The initiative will focus on Balochistan and the newly merged districts, while the Potohar region will also be assessed for olive cultivation.
The government has set a target of expanding olive plantations to one million acres.
Another Rs. 338.2 million project was approved to upgrade the high-frequency radio network used by WAPDA’s Water Resources Management Directorate.
The CDWP approved five projects with a combined cost of Rs. 21.59 billion, while two projects worth Rs. 94.3 billion were sent to ECNEC for further consideration, including the Rs. 37.19 billion PakSat-2 project.
