PM Imran launches Naya Pakistan Housing Authority

Pakistan is enriched with natural resources but is facing management issues

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday urged the nation to hold on to patience as the difficult time will pass soon.

Addressing a press conference while launching  Naya Pakistan Housing Programme  at a special ceremony in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said that the target of the government is to ensure provision of five million affordable houses for under-privileged classes during the next five years, adding that the New Pakistan Housing Project will bring prosperity in the country.

The prime minister expressed the confidence that the programme would not only help realize the dream of a shelter for the poor but also create employment opportunities.

“It will also attract local and foreign investment and stimulate about forty related industries,” he said adding that the project will help around 40 industries to grow.

Regarding money laundering, Khan said that US$10 billion were being laundered annually.

He went on to say that Pakistan is enriched with natural resources but is facing management issues, adding that the four minerals present in Pakistan are worth US$400 billion.

Regarding government’s decision to approach IMF, he said that the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has gifted a deficit of US$18 billion to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, adding that the government needs money to pay debt.

The premier announced formation of a Naya Pakistan Housing Authority to serve as one window for all construction related formalities and an authority would be set up in three months and till then a Task Force would look after the housing project.

A National Financial Regulatory Body would be set up in two months to remove hurdles in financing of construction of houses, he said and added a legal framework would also be prepared to ensure that there are no legal hurdles in the way of implementation of housing project.

He said a Land Bank would be instituted to identify land with the federal government, housing ministry, provincial governments and local bodies.

Khan said: “In the first phase pilot projects would be launched in seven districts of the country and a registration process would be initiated in these districts from tomorrow with the cooperation of NADRA to gather data for housing needs of the people.”

He said the federal government is launching its first project for its employees and registration for the same would begin from tomorrow. Punjab Government would also launch a similar project.