PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Thursday approved over Rs3 billion for ‘Ehsaas Hunar Programme’ in order to provide interest-free loans to the youth with technical and vocational skills for self-employment and entrepreneurship.

The Bank of Khyber will serve as a “service provider” for the project, according to an official statement issued after the cabinet’s meeting.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur chaired the meeting, which was attended by cabinet members, chief secretary, additional chief secretaries, the senior member of the board of revenue, administrative secretaries, and advocate general.

The statement read that the cabinet approved an extra Rs33 billion as supplementary budget grant to various sectors by enhancing their sectoral allocations in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year 2024-25 as per distribution proposed by the planning and development department.

Rs33bn supplementary budget also approved for various sectors

“This increase was made possible by the stringent measures, financial discipline and the efficient utilisation of the allocated budget,” Mr Gandapur told the meeting.

The cabinet also approved the Gazette Notification of Gallies in Abbottabad and Bashkar Garam Chashma in Chitral as Biosphere Reserves under Section 30 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife and Biodiversity Act, 2015.The two sites were added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves on June 14, 2023 by Unesco.

With this recognition, Pakistan now has a total of four internationally acknowledged biosphere reserves, including Lal Suhanra (Punjab) and Ziarat Juniper Forest (Balochistan), contributing to the global network of 758 biosphere reserves, according to the statement.

It added that the two reserves were identified to meet international commitments under the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme aimed at afforestation, restoration of degraded lands, forests, protection of wildlife and expanding Pakistan’s biosphere.

The chief minister termed it a significant development and ordered the formulation of a comprehensive strategy to protect such sites.

The cabinet approved a supplementary grant of Rs1726.1 million for two ADP schemes to ensure completion of all the 760 earthquake-affected units (schools) in the province.

The October 8, 2005, earthquake had caused large-scale destruction of infrastructure, including 3700 educational institutions, mostly in four districts of Hazara Division and one district of Malakand Division (Shangla) were badly affected.

A sum of Rs14.5 million was approved as a developmental support grant for FATA University, which had been functional since 2016 in part of the Government Degree College, Dara Adamkhel, where around 1,100 students, mostly from remote areas, have been enrolled in various disciplines.

The university’s own buildings have been recently completed and the grant will be utilised for the water supply system to resolve the ongoing water crises and procure mini- buses for students’ pick and drop facility.

The cabinet accorded approval to the release of Rs500 million to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Deserving Artists Endowment Fund. Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Artists Welfare Endowment Fund Act, 2022, the fund is meant to provide financial assistance to deserving artists, cover their health expenses, maintain minimum requirements for their livelihood, ensure their dignity and honour.

The cabinet also approved the release of Rs5 million to the higher education department as prize money to be distributed among outstanding performers as a reward for their dedication and hard work in different sports activities.

“This will motivate young athletes and strengthen sports in educational institutions,” the statement read.

The cabinet approved Rs1.095 billion special fund for the merged and disadvantaged districts as well as a compensation of Rs3 million for the family of the student, who lost life in a recent firing incident in Bannu.

It also granted approval to a proposal of forwarding a joint resolution adopted by the KP Assembly to the federal government about a police crackdown on the PTI in Islamabad on November 26, 2024.

The resolution states: “Whereas on November 26, 2024, during a peaceful protest in Islamabad, Islamabad Police unlawfully arrested thousands of PTI workers, leaving hundreds injured. The detained workers were imprisoned in Attock Jail, where they have been subjected to severe oppression, particularly targeting Pashtuns.

Also, they are not being provided food as per the jail manual. Therefore, this Assembly recommends that the provincial government strongly urge the federal government to immediately end the injustice and oppression against the detained workers and ensure their prompt release.”

The cabinet also approved the forwarding of the joint resolution adopted by the KP Assembly to the federal government, opposing the centre’s notification of forming a steering committee to oversee the Accelerated Implementation Programme for the merged tribal districts.

The participants also approved with certain changes the draft Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025, for placement before the provincial assembly.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2025