The project, initially approved in 2007 at Rs15.8bn, was originally scheduled for completion in October 2023. It is now expected to be completed by June 2027, with financing issues cited as a major cause of delays. The latest cost has also risen 75pc from the Rs98.5bn contract value awarded in 2022.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, approved seven development projects worth Rs252.97bn. Four projects worth Rs12.43bn were approved directly, while three worth Rs240.53bn were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).
Among the projects sent to Ecnec were the Rs37.13bn Pakistan Space Centre, aimed at strengthening the country’s satellite development capabilities, and the Rs31.59bn Lahore Water and Waste Water Management Project.
The four projects approved by the CDWP were related to higher education and included schemes for Women University of AJ&K Bagh, Emerson University Multan, the Institute of Technology and Management Sciences in Hyderabad, and a veterinary college in Narowal.
