Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered on Monday an “immediate” wrapping up of the Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak PWD) due to “years’ long poor performance and corruption.”

He issued the directive during a meeting held on reducing the government expenditures and the size of its infrastructure.

The PWD was established in 1854 by Lord Dilhousie. It had to its credit a wide spectrum of infrastructure and building works across the Indo-Pak Sub-continent. After Independence, it was renamed as Pakistan Public Works Department.

It was the housing & works ministry’s attached department. According to its website, the department executed federal government building and infrastructure works, owing to the “PAN Pakistan” establishment.

At the meeting, PM Shehbaz observed that the Pak PWD as a department had “failed to achieve” its objectives and asked for an alternate mechanism for the development projects that were tasked to the Pak PWD.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, PM’s Adviser on Political Affair Rana Sanaullah, and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jehanzeb Khan attended the meeting.

For the reduction of government expenditures, officials informed the prime minister about a report compiled by a committee headed by the planning commission’s deputy chairman.

The committee had recommended for abolishment of certain government entities and merger of others. The prime minister directed the committee for finalisation of further recommendations.

The Pak PWD used to execute all federally funded works except those funded from the defence budget. It also acquired and developed federal government lands.

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Maintenance of all federally owned government buildings and their furnishing like maintenance of the PM Secretariat, PM House, Minister’s Enclave, Supreme Court Judges Enclave, State Guest House Lahore, Karachi and other prestigious buildings except those financed from the defence budget were under its domain.

It also ensured the management of federal lodges and acted as a technical adviser to the federal government in engineering matters.

The Pak PWD Director General comprised more than six members, including a chief engineer (planning), chief admin officer, chief architect, zonal chief engineers, deputy director (internal audit), budget and accounts director, executive engineer for anti-corruption.