Development spending remains at 27pc of allocation.

The public development spending remained at Rs188 billion in seven months - which was equal to 27 percent of the annual allocation - amid the government's resolve to fully utilise the remaining funds before June to propel economic growth.

The government has shown the commitment to fully spend Rs701 billion on development amid the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) emphasis on ensuring that the development spending remains on track.

Unlike past programmes, this time the IMF is keen that Pakistan fully utilises the development budget and also honours its debt servicing commitments.

Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) expenditures from July through January of the current fiscal year were in line with the historical trends, said Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Friday while addressing his first press conference as the planning minister.

The minister also hinted at some positive development on the $9.2-billion Mainline-I project of the...