The federal government has released Rs43 billion in development funds to Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) from the treasury benches under the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme (SAP). The funds will be used during the ongoing fiscal year 2025–26 to execute small-scale development schemes across the country, officials said.
According to sources, the SAP steering committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, approved Rs250 million for each MNA. The Rs43bn allocation is part of a larger Rs50bn package cleared in August.
Punjab has received the largest share, with Rs23.5bn earmarked for development schemes. Of this, Rs17.6bn will be channelled through the provincial government and Rs5.9bn set aside for electricity projects in rural areas.
The recent IMF governance and corruption diagnostic report raised strong concerns about discretionary development funds, saying such allocations often benefit political or bureaucratic influence zones, while transparency and parliamentary oversight in budget execution remain limited.
Sources said MNAs from Sindh have been allocated Rs15.3bn, including Rs10.9bn through the provincial government and Rs4.3bn via the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has received Rs1.3bn, Balochistan Rs2.3bn, and Islamabad’s three constituencies a combined Rs750 million.
Concerns over transparency and oversight persist since SAP schemes typically do not undergo routine scrutiny processes.
Following the steering committee’s approval, the Cabinet Division is dispatching the funds to relevant provincial entities, while the Planning Commission is releasing the entire amount in a single tranche.
