Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has mandated the immediate dissolution of the Public Works Department (PWD) as part of the government’s strategy to eliminate loss-making state departments and enterprises under its privatization policy.
The PWD employs 7,000 people, whose futures are uncertain following this order. In an interview with Daily Jang, Prime Minister Sharif emphasized that the government will protect the interests of PWD employees, but it can no longer support departments that burden the national budget.
Sharif reassured that federal and provincial institutions will complete the ongoing projects previously managed by the PWD. He also announced that future government construction and repair work will be outsourced to private companies that meet international standards.
“The PWD has not achieved its core objectives,” he said, adding that alternative mechanisms will be implemented for development projects previously handled by the PWD.
Reports indicate that the government is also considering the closure of other departments, including the National Engineering Services of Pakistan, the National Construction, and the National Accountability Bureau, to further reduce expenditures.