The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday gave the green light to several major development projects for Peshawar, including a zero-emission electric bus service for the Ring Road and a new general hospital for the city under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2026–27.
The approvals were made by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi during a consultative meeting with parliamentarians from the Peshawar region at Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. Senators, MNAs and MPAs attended the session, which focused on setting development priorities for the provincial capital.
During the meeting, the chief minister directed that the electric bus project be included in the upcoming ADP. The service will operate along the busy Peshawar Ring Road and is intended to offer modern, environmentally friendly public transport while cutting vehicle emissions and improving daily commuting.
A state-of-the-art general hospital was also approved to meet the growing healthcare needs of Peshawar’s expanding population. CM Afridi said the project would be carried out on a fast-track basis with an emphasis on quality work and timely completion.
He also asked lawmakers to submit constituency-based development proposals to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat by March 15 so they can be reviewed for inclusion in the next ADP cycle.
The provincial government’s move towards sustainable transport comes at a time when electric and mass transit systems are gaining attention across the country.
The Asian Development Bank has expressed interest in supporting expanded electric bus services and urban rail projects in cities such as Karachi, highlighting a wider national shift toward greener mobility solutions.
Among other decisions, the meeting approved a feasibility study for a second Ring Road to help ease traffic congestion and accommodate future urban growth.