On March 26, Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi launched the Good Governance Roadmap 2.0, marking a significant expansion of the province’s reform agenda.
The updated roadmap brings 10 additional departments under its ambit and introduces 88 new reform initiatives, raising the total number of interventions from 362 to 450.
Addressing the launch ceremony, the chief minister said the roadmap was being monitored at the highest level. He warned that any delays in public service delivery would be treated as a serious administrative offence.
In view of the coming tourism season, he directed the concerned officials to ensure a safe, welcoming and facilitative environment for tourists. He also ordered an immediate facelift of tourist destinations and improvements in infrastructure and services to fully harness the province’s tourism potential.
He directed priority-completion of the PC-1 for the Nathia Gali Road, early initiation of the Circular Railway project and completion of preliminary work for extension of railway to Khyber and Mardan districts.
Before independence in 1947, Peshawar was connected by rail to Khyber, Nowshera, Mardan and Charsadda as well as Dargai in Malakand district.
Saad Bin Awais, an assistant director of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority, say that under the Good Governance Initiative, the Tourism Department has completed several key tasks, including the recruitment of tourism police for major tourist sites. Round the clock tourist facilitation centres across the province have been made operational and equipped with first-aid kits.
The government is also introducing an e-challan system. According to an official in the Excise Department, an e-transfer facility has been launched for all types of vehicles, enabling owners to transfer ownership via mobile phones without visiting excise offices. The service is available through Dastak, a flagship application of the provincial government aimed at paperless service delivery.
Officials say the reforms are designed to deliver quantifiable improvement in governance, transparency and public service delivery.
Under the initiative, land record services will be delivered through mobile units, with a focus on facilitating the elderly, the sick and women. Integration with NADRA is expected to ensure transparent and corruption-free land transactions.
A modern, camera-based traffic enforcement system will be introduced to improve road safety and compliance. A dedicated school zone safety package and targeted engineering interventions will reduce road accidents.
Environmental governance will be strengthened through smog monitoring systems and climate observatories providing real-time air quality data, as well as mechanisms for monitoring toxic waste and wastewater. The Billion Tree Plus programme will be expanded to reinforce afforestation and climate resilience efforts.
In the transport sector, digitisation of driving licences will be completed. An intra-city transport system under a public-private partnership model will improve connectivity.
Access to justice and rehabilitation services will be enhanced through legal aid and case facilitation for vulnerable groups. Tele-medicine and health screening will be extended to prisons. Measures are also being introduced to facilitate the placement of skilled juvenile inmates in industries for reintegration.
Labour sector reforms will expand advanced medical services. Enforcement of maternity benefits will strengthen financial protection for working women.
In sports and youth development, playground infrastructure will be upgraded and talent development programmes introduced. Sports facilities will be managed through public-private partnerships.
Disaster preparedness will be strengthened through early warning systems and direct digital payments for transparent and timely financial relief. GPS tracking of ambulances and rescue vehicles will improve efficiency and accountability.
Administrative reforms include the launch of an e-pension system and the establishment of a provincial nerve centre for real-time monitoring of service delivery.
Progress
A performance review revealed that 362 reform initiatives are currently under implementation across 16 departments, supported by over 2,200 action points. More than 440 weekly, 70 monthly and five quarterly review meetings have been held to ensure oversight.
In the health sector, 150 of 250 Basic Health Units are now operational 24/7. Full coverage is expected by June. Outsourcing of 72 health facilities is under way. 700 doctors have been recruited and 2,400 medical officer positions approved.
The polio campaign has been expanded to 45 additional union councils, including some previously inaccessible areas. More than 150 vaccinators have been deployed across more than 60 hospitals. Immunisation coverage has increased by nearly 24 per cent.
In municipal services, 2,500 kilometres of drains and sewerage lines have been cleared. A rural waste collection system is collecting 4,500 tonnes of waste monthly.
In education sector, school furniture has been provided for more than 100,000 students. 3,500 scholarships have been awarded. Disciplinary action against more than 16,000 teachers has helped raise attendance to 91 per cent.
In agriculture sector, 150,000 wild olive trees have been converted into productive varieties. Modern machinery is being provided to farmers. Lining of over 700 watercourses has been completed.
In social welfare sector, 20 special education institutions have been revamped, with 146 teachers recruited alongside physiotherapists, speech therapists and psychologists. Financial assistance is being provided to vulnerable groups: over 3,100 orphans and 3,300 widows are receiving a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 each.
Assistive devices, including electric wheelchairs, tricycles, sewing machines and hearing aids, have also been distributed to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities. Additionally, 14 buses have been deployed to facilitate transport for children enrolled in special schools.
In the IT sector, a cashless payment initiative has been launched. The KP Digital Payment Act 2025 has been approved. More than 100 government services have been digitised, with 114 services across over 25 departments now available online. The Dastak app provides access to more than 60 public services.
Solid waste management in Galiyat Development Authority areas has been outsourced. Land use planning for Kalam, Kaghan, Kumrat and Galiyat is under way. Rs 150 million interest-free loans have been disbursed to promote community-based accommodation.
Meanwhile, the new general bus stand in Peshawar is nearing completion. It is expected to become operational by June.
Riaz Ghafoor, spokesperson for the local government minister, says work on several projects under the Peshawar Uplift Programme is in progress. These includes a state-of-the-art bus terminal.
“The bus stand has been equipped with modern amenities. We’ll maintain comprehensive records of passengers and buses. Developed alongside the BRT system, the bus terminal will provide easier access to all parts of the city. It will also serve passengers traveling to and from Islamabad, Hazara, Malakand and Mardan regions,” Riaz says.