KP Cabinet Approves Equal Medical Seat Distribution for Upper, Lower South Waziristan

42 reserved medical and dental college seats to be shared equally, with 21 each for Upper and Lower South Waziristan; CM Sohail Afridi also directs 10 additional seats for each district in private medical colleges at provincial government expense.

Hamid Khan Wazir

PESHAWAR: In a welcome step towards educational equity, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet has approved an equal distribution of 42 reserved medical and dental college seats between Upper and Lower South Waziristan for the 2026–27 academic session.

Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has also directed that 10 seats each be reserved for students from both districts in private medical and dental colleges, with the provincial government bearing the expenses until the seats are formally established by the relevant authorities. The move is a welcome step towards educational equity and improving access to medical education for students in the merged districts.

The KP Cabinet has approved a series of important decisions aimed at strengthening counter-terrorism infrastructure, improving public services, expanding healthcare and social welfare facilities, and addressing key development needs across the province.

Briefing the media on the decisions taken at the Cabinet’s 60th meeting, Minister for Information and Public Relations, Science, Technology and Information Technology Shafi Jan highlighted the government’s initiatives in security, education, healthcare, sanitation and social welfare.

The decision is a significant step towards ensuring fairer educational opportunities for students from both districts and addressing barriers to medical education in the merged areas.

Additional Rs5.33 Billion for Counter-Terrorism Infrastructure

The Cabinet approved additional funding of Rs5,333.50 million for the development scheme titled “Establishment of District Setup of Counter Terrorism Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Construction of Peshawar Regional CTD Headquarters”.

He said that the funding will be provided through inter-sectoral re-appropriation, with the prescribed timelines under the release policy for the current financial year 2026–27 relaxed.

Shafi Jan said that the initiative would strengthen the Counter Terrorism Department’s operational capacity, intelligence capabilities and specialised facilities across the province.

He added that the provincial government had already approved the establishment of district-level CTD setups throughout KP, including the construction of the Peshawar Regional CTD Headquarters, at an estimated cost of Rs6,591.640 million.

Rural Cleanliness Programme Extended

The Cabinet also approved the extension of the Rural Areas (Village Councils) Cleanliness Programme at a cost of Rs7,660.590 million.

Shafi Jan stated that the decision was taken in view of progress made under the programme, its acceptance by local communities and strong public demand for its continuation. The extension is intended to sustain sanitation and cleanliness services in rural areas and respond to the needs of village communities.

Cabinet Approves Resolution on Chief Minister’s Punjab Visit

The Cabinet approved forwarding Joint Resolution No. 283, adopted by the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to the federal government.

Shafi Jan said that the resolution strongly condemned an incident involving Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi during his visit to Punjab.

The minister stated that the resolution alleged that the chief minister was forcibly taken away by Punjab Police in a police vehicle, separated from his security personnel and subsequently left on the roadside without security. The Cabinet approved forwarding the resolution to the federal government for consideration.

Financial Assistance for 81 Patients

In a healthcare-related decision, the Cabinet approved financial assistance for 81 needy patients suffering from prolonged illnesses or complicated medical conditions.

The assistance is intended to help patients facing difficulties in accessing necessary medical treatment.

Rehabilitation Centre for Drug Addicts in Swabi

To strengthen rehabilitation and social welfare services, the Cabinet approved the transfer of four kanals and 17 marlas of land from the Auqaf Department to the Zakat, Ushr, Social Welfare, Special Education and Women Empowerment Department.

The land will be used to construct a Rehabilitation and Detoxification Centre for Drug Addicts in Tehsil Razzar, Swabi district.

The proposed facility is aimed at supporting the rehabilitation of people struggling with drug addiction and expanding access to specialised treatment services.

Child Protection Unit and Social Welfare Complex in D.I. Khan

The Cabinet also approved the transfer of 25 kanals of land from the Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Department to the Zakat, Ushr, Social Welfare, Special Education and Women Empowerment Department.

The land will be used to establish a proposed Child Protection Unit and Social Welfare Complex in Dera Ismail Khan. The initiative is intended to strengthen child protection and improve the availability of social welfare services in the district.

Sugar Export to Be Considered After New Crushing Season

Regarding sugar availability and prices, the Cabinet approved a proposal for the federal government to consider allowing sugar exports only after the commencement of the new crushing season, expected in mid-November.

Shafi Jan said that the proposal was aimed at ensuring that fresh sugar production became available and domestic prices stabilised before exports were permitted.

$250 Million World Bank Financing for READY-KP

The Cabinet also gave its concurrence to obtaining $250 million in financing from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) for the READY-KP Project, under the applicable World Bank financing terms.

The decision forms part of the provincial government’s efforts to secure development financing for initiatives under the project.

The minister said that the Cabinet’s decisions covered a broad range of provincial priorities, including security, healthcare, education, sanitation and social protection.