CDWP Fast-Tracks Approval for Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital Project
ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, the federal government hastily approved the Rs53 billion Nawaz Sharif cancer hospital project without the necessary detailed feasibility study and business plan.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved the project despite significant gaps in its preparation, allowing a six-month period for the provincial government to address these issues. Shortly after the CDWP meeting, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, also endorsed the project.
The CDWP meeting was chaired by Ahsan Iqbal, who was presiding for the first time since Dr. Jehanzab Khan’s resignation last week.
The Punjab government will finance the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment & Research, which will be established in Lahore at an estimated cost of Rs52.7 billion. For the current fiscal year, the provincial government has allocated Rs6 billion from its development budget for the hospital’s construction.
Previously, the Planning Commission had advised that the project should only be approved once the provincial government provided a comprehensive feasibility study, business plan, governance plan, human resources requirements, institutional framework, and a sustainability exit strategy. The CDWP has now set a six-month deadline for these requirements to be met.
