The 48th meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet was held in Peshawar under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi, who presided over the meeting via video link from Islamabad. Cabinet members, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, the Senior Member Board of Revenue, Administrative Secretaries and the Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attended the meeting.
Briefing the media on the decisions taken in the meeting, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Shafi Jan stated that the Provincial Cabinet approved an allocation of Rs 4,065.12 million to meet critical human resource requirements in the health sector. The Cabinet approved the creation of 2,439 fixed pay positions for medical officers, dental surgeons and nurses to strengthen service delivery across public health facilities in the province, including the Merged Districts.
The Cabinet further authorized the Health Department to undertake recruitment against these positions through walk in interviews to be conducted by Divisional Level Departmental Selection Committees in accordance with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department Contract Appointment of Doctors Fixed Pay Rules 2022 as amended in 2025. The measure is intended to ensure uninterrupted and efficient provision of healthcare services across the province.
The Cabinet also approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Vagrancy Control and Rehabilitation Bill 2025 for placement before the Provincial Assembly.
The proposed legislation introduces a modernized and rights based framework for addressing vagrancy in the province, replacing the existing legal framework introduced in 2020. The Bill adopts a rehabilitation centred approach and expands the legal definitions of vagrancy to include organized and forced beggary while providing clear differentiation between vulnerable individuals and organized criminal networks.
The Bill provides for the protection of children involved in beggary, prescribes penalties against exploitative practices, and establishes institutional mechanisms for policy coordination and oversight including a Provincial Steering Committee.
It further provides for the reintegration of vulnerable individuals through rehabilitation and skills development programmes and establishes a dedicated non lapsable Rehabilitation Fund. Provisions relating to after care and livelihood support have also been incorporated to facilitate sustainable reintegration and prevent relapse.
Shafi Jan stated that the Cabinet approved the Hybrid Wheat Procurement and Strategic Reserves Policy 2026 as the framework for future wheat procurement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The policy envisages a gradual transition from a state dominated procurement model towards a market based wheat economy, supported by indicative pricing mechanisms to promote price stability. It also provides for the maintenance of strategic reserves to safeguard food security and encourages enhanced private sector participation in wheat procurement, storage and trading. The policy is expected to significantly reduce the fiscal burden on the provincial exchequer over time.
The Cabinet also approved the proposal to take up wheat procurement related liabilities amounting to Rs 38.042 billion with the Federal Government for adjustment against PASSCO liabilities of Rs 41.97 billion, with the remaining balance of Rs 3.928 billion to be settled in favour of PASSCO.
The Cabinet further approved a grant in aid of Rs 196 million for the provision of laptops to minority students enrolled in BS, MBBS and Engineering, MPhil and MS, and PhD programmes under the Chief Minister’s Digital Inclusion Programme for Minority Students.
The Cabinet approved proposed amendments to the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010.
The Cabinet also approved the establishment of breast screening centres at five divisional headquarters. The initiative forms part of the Government’s Good Governance Roadmap, which envisages provision of mammography facilities at all divisional headquarters, and is aimed at ensuring equitable access to modern diagnostic services for women across the province.
The Cabinet approved the transfer of 15 kanal of land to the Health Department for the establishment of a nursing college in Upper Chitral. It also approved cost enhancement for the project titled Establishment of Women and Children Hospital Sarai Naurang District Lakki Marwat.
In addition, the Cabinet approved the provision of land for the construction of a Ladies and Children Park on Kohat Road Peshawar.
Shafi Jan stated that the Cabinet approved funding arrangements for land acquisition for the Peshawar Dera Ismail Khan Motorway through intra and inter sectoral re appropriation of resources. The Cabinet also approved the transfer of 29 kanal and 9 marla of state land for the extension of the Judicial Complex in Hangu.
The Cabinet further approved extension of the Tirah Model Financial Assistance Package to an additional 6,505 affected families in District Khyber.
In addition, the Cabinet approved the nomination of a private sector representative to the Private Power and Infrastructure Board.