JICA-Supported Project Delivers Major Gains in Grassroots Governance Across KP’s Merged Districts

PESHAWAR, September 16, 2026: A three-year JICA-supported technical cooperation project has made significant progress in strengthening grassroots governance, local government capacity and development planning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s merged districts.The achievements and key lessons of the project were highlighted at a final seminar held in Peshawar, which brought together government officials, development partners and local representatives.

KP Minister for Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Meena Khan Afridi attended the seminar and underscored the importance of strengthening local governance and development planning in the merged districts.Under the project, training programmes were conducted to enhance the capacities of local government officials and elected representatives. In a major planning initiative, Mid-Term Development Plans (MTDPs) were prepared for all 19 tehsils of the merged districts through participatory planning approaches.The MTDPs provide a strategic roadmap for local development, with parts of the plans already being implemented through interventions supported by UNDP and the KP government.Participants reaffirmed their commitment to using the MTDPs as practical frameworks for guiding development in the merged districts. Discussions stressed that the plans should go beyond being official documents and serve as tools for prioritising investments, coordinating development initiatives and delivering tangible benefits to local communities.

Speaking at the seminar, YAMANAKA Yoshifumi, Director of the Office for Peacebuilding at JICA Headquarters, emphasized the need to institutionalize participatory planning approaches and ensure that development plans are translated into concrete implementation.He said continued participatory planning and effective implementation would be essential for strengthening trust and confidence between local governments and citizens.