The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has approved Rs 50 million for the Lahore High Court bar association in its 33rd cabinet meeting held on Friday.
The 33rd meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur. Participants included cabinet members, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, the Senior Member of the Board of Revenue, secretaries of various departments, and the Advocate General.
After the meeting, the Chief Minister’s Advisor on Information, Barrister Dr. Muhammad Ali Saif, briefed the media about the cabinet’s decisions.
Key decisions made during the meeting included the approval of the Climate Action Board Bill 2025 for environmental protection. This will establish an autonomous body responsible for environmental policy-making, monitoring, research, and fundraising. Additionally, a Climate Action Fund will be created under this initiative.
The cabinet also approved amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Act 2013. These changes will bring digital, cable, and social media advertisements under legal oversight, and allow the declaration of newspapers to be transferred outside the family after ten years.
Amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Act 2019 were approved, granting the Board of Directors the authority to extend the service of constables within the Tourism Police.
The cabinet approved amendments to the Health Department Contract Appointment Rules 2022, enabling the recruitment of dental surgeons, technicians, and nurses on a contract basis.
Furthermore, the cabinet exempted stage carriages (passenger vehicles) from Rule 57-B(I) of the Water Vehicle Rules 1969 and approved the immediate implementation of a vehicle fitness and exhaust testing scheme.
Concerns were raised about the arrest of former Member of the National Assembly Ali Wazir, particularly regarding the lack of medical facilities provided to him, leading to a demand for his immediate release.
A joint resolution addressed the increasing incidents of terrorism, the failures in the Pak-Afghan policy, and called for greater provincial empowerment over Afghan affairs. Another resolution condemned the Pahalgam incident and demanded international action against India for breaching the Indus Water Treaty.
The meeting also approved substantial funding for development projects. The cost of the Janikhel Police Station project was increased from Rs 100 million to Rs 140.43 million, Rs 190 million was allocated for the construction of a 750-meter road near Odigram Bridge, and funding for the Taka Tak to Hiya Serai Bridge was increased from Rs 500 million to Rs 1,020.401 million.
Additionally, Rs 153.950 million was approved for arrears payment to DHQ Hospital Wana, along with the purchase of two vehicles for the Anti-Terrorism Courts in Peshawar and Bannu.
The cabinet decided to postpone the purchase of wheat, as the current reserves are sufficient for the province’s needs, and no further purchases will be made until the federal policy is announced.
In a significant development related to land and records, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was approved for a pilot project of cadastral mapping between the Board of Revenue and the Survey of Pakistan. It was reported that land records in nine districts of the province have been fully computerised, and 90 per cent of records in ten districts are now digitalized, with cadastral mapping set to follow.
The cabinet approved the transfer of 2 kanals and 12 marlas of land for the construction of a Rescue 1122 station. The names of the Minister and Secretary of Labour were also approved for participation in the 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva.
Finally, several welfare grants were approved, including a special package of Rs 5.5 million for the families of nine martyrs, Rs 20 million for the Mehsud Welfare Association, Rs 10 million for the Frontier Foundation, and Rs 50 million for the Lahore High Court Bar Association.
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