VIDEO: Imran approves distribution of 1,500 houses for poor under ‘Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme’
- 18 Mar 2021
Tariq Butt, Correspondent
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday inaugurated the distribution of 1,500 housing and flats among the working class under the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP), terming it a “first in the history of Pakistan.”
"This is a major achievement," the premier said while addressing a ceremony held for the allotment of 1,500 houses and flats to the working class in the federal capital.
"It is very difficult for the salaried class, workers and labourers to construct or purchase a house in the cities due to soaring prices of land,” he told the ceremony.
The project was initiated as part of a joint collaboration between the Workers Welfare Fund, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development.
The premier said the government has started the NPHP with a new mindset to provide support to these segments of society to own a house.
The ceremony started with a short speech by the prime minister’s aide on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari, who said that in the first phase of this project completed by Workers Welfare Fund, 1,008 flats and 500 houses have been constructed.
"I want to congratulate Zulfi Bukhari, Workers Welfare Fund and their team for reviving the 25-year-old project and providing the people with their own houses," he added.
"In the last 25 years, no one thought about making this a priority and provide houses to those who can't afford to have their own residence," the premier said.
For the first time, workers and labourers are being provided with their own roof on mortgage basis, Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed said.
Under this scheme, houses will be distributed among widows and disabled, besides labourers on ownership rights to those who are earning less than Rs0.5 million.
The prime minister said the government has introduced a legislation under which banks will provide loans on 5% interest rate for the construction of houses.
He said banks have promised to set aside Rs380 billion for this purpose. He said there is a boom in the construction industry due to the incentives given by the present government. He said this will not only lead to wealth creation but also provide job opportunities to the youth.
Referring to the opposition, Imran said it started saying from day one that the government has failed. "People have given the mandate to be in government for five years. We should be made accountable after five years as to what we have done.”
He old reporters that two new cities were being developed, and the government would meet its target of constructing 50 million housing units.
The prime minister pointed out that people have started getting low-cost housing units under the government’s Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme and pledged that the government would achieve the target of five million housing units by building two new cities.
He said that the Ravi Riverfront Project, Naya Pakistan Housing Project, and the Central Business District would lead to the construction of five million houses.
The Centre wants to build Bundal Island as well but the Sindh government is opposing the project, he added.
The premier said a jehad (holy war) is being waged against land grabbers in Punjab. Rs200 billion worth of land has already been retrieved from the land mafia in Punjab, he added.