Ahad Khan Cheema requested continued financing from the World Bank for the National Artificial Intelligence and Economic Development Program and the ML-1 railway project during a meeting with World Bank President Ajay Banga. The discussion occurred in Bangkok on the sidelines of the 2026 World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings.
Ajay Banga previously visited Pakistan in February 2026. The World Bank successfully mobilized $112 billion in private capital during the 2026 fiscal year.
Project preparation times at the World Bank dropped from an average of 19 months to 9 months. Pakistan is currently executing a whole-of-government reform initiative directed by the Prime Minister’s Steering Committee on implementation reforms.
Both parties agreed to speed up the delivery of development outcomes by streamlining processes. Cheema stated that CPF implementation and policy reforms must align with large-scale, high-impact investments in digital transformation and AI, minerals and value addition, primary healthcare, skills development, agricultural value chains, energy and transport infrastructure.
National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) established 43 Citizen Facilitation Centers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Okara Food Street project reached completion with a total expenditure of Rs. 800 million.
