PESHAWAR  -  The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet has established a committee to address the grievances of officers from attached departments, in response to directives from the Peshawar High Court regard­ing salary disparities. The committee includes key officials such as the Advi­sor to Chief Ministers on Finance and Minister/Secretaries of various de­partments.

Following a writ petition by over 973 officers, the High Court directed the government to address the disparities in allowances and remove discrimina­tion among civil servants. However, the Finance Department has opposed this demand due to financial constraints, estimating its annual implications to exceed Rs. 971 million.

Additionally, the cabinet formed com­mittees to adopt policies uniformly, cat­egorize recruitment posts, and oversee projects such as the Pakistan Digital City Haripur. It also approved draft rules, loan borrowings, infrastructure pro­jects, and realigned its stance on loan repayments with other provinces.

Overall, these decisions aim to ad­dress grievances, foster development, and ensure uniformity in policies and financial matters across Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa.

Rs1.15b announces for welfare initiatives

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, has announced a series of welfare and development initiatives, including a Rs. 1.15 billion Eid pack­age for deserving individuals across the province.

Under the new program, 1,000 de­serving individuals in each provincial assembly constituency will receive Rs. 10,000 each, totaling Rs. 1.15 billion. Additionally, 2,050 families of police martyrs will benefit from Rs. 10,000 Eid packages.

In a separate move, the cabinet ap­proved a Rs. 7.67 billion scheme to equip police forces in various districts with modern vehicles and equipment, strengthening their operational capacity.

To improve efficiency in government department recruitment, the cabi­net formed a committee tasked with evaluating private testing agencies for screening potential candidates. The committee’s recommendations, includ­ing proposals to expand the capacity of government testing agencies, are ex­pected within 15 days.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govern­ment is taking significant strides to­wards digital infrastructure develop­ment. 

The cabinet approved the Digital Rights of Way Policy, paving the way for streamlined digital connectivity. Furthermore, agreements were green­lit between the Information Technol­ogy Board and the Special Technology Zone Authority to establish Pakistan Digital City.

The meeting also addressed govern­ance reforms within the Provincial En­dowment Department Organization (PEDO). New rules for appointing Chief Executive Officers and Executive Com­mittee Members for PEDO were ap­proved.

These initiatives collectively aim to enhance social welfare programs, mod­ernize law enforcement capabilities, and accelerate digitalization across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.