The federal government, on the recommendation of the Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives (PD&SI), Ahsan Iqbal, has re-assigned the SDGs Achievement Programme (SAP) to the Cabinet Division, as per sources.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Achievement Programme (SAP) was proposed to be transferred to the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives by the Cabinet Division in its summary for the Cabinet on June 7, 2022, according to a briefing provided to the Cabinet by the Planning Development Special Initiatives Division on August 4, 2022. The Cabinet approved the proposal on July 13, 2022, after consideration.
Subsequently, in a meeting on July 21 of the sub-committee of the Steering Committee on SAP, it was recommended that the SAP be given back to the Cabinet division for efficient implementation. The Steering Committee approved this recommendation on July 26 in a meeting chaired by the Planning Minister.
In a discussion, the Secretary of Cabinet highlighted that the SAP had gone through various divisions before being entrusted to the Cabinet Division. Hence, as the Cabinet did not have the requisite expertise to oversee development work and it was not relevant to the functions allocated to the Cabinet Division in the Rules of Business, 1973, the SAP was transferred to the Planning and Development Division, initially.
Ahsan Iqbal agreed and suggested that, considering the brief time left in the tenure of the National Assembly, the displacement would negatively affect the implementation of schemes under the SAP. Hence, the Planning Minister suggested that the SAP be assigned back to the Cabinet Division.
