ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday broke ground forconstruction of 25,000 housing units for the federal government employeesin the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, under the presentgovernment’s “ambitious” five million housing programme.
“Construction of five million houses is an ambitious target, but foreigninvestors are queued up (for this project). We are trying to bring privatesector in the project so that youth could get opportunities forestablishing their own businesses,” he said while addressing the foundationlaying ceremony of high rise residential complex of 6,000 apartments hereat the Sector G-13.
The prime minister said he would soon inaugurate the construction of100,000 housing units in Balochistan and 6,000 in Azad Kashmir besides14,000 in Lahore and Karachi in cooperation with the private sector.
He said initially his focus was on improving education, health andemployment in the country. But, he added, he thought about the housingfacility for low income and salaried people some two years back, after agovernment employee committed suicide in Islamabad just to seek job for hisson and to retain the government’s house in which he lived.
The prime minister said that the government was also working to convert theslums in Karachi and Islamabad into high rise apartments and providing allbasic amenities there including commercial areas.
He said a Chinese company, which had the expertise in prefabricatedhousing, during a meeting with him showed interest in establishing a unitfor manufacturing prefabricated housing material. That company had thecapability of constructing a building floor in a week, he added.
He said the government had also allocated Rs 5 billion for a revolving fundto lend interest-free credit to the poor and homeless for the constructionof their own houses.
The prime minister said that laying the foundation of 25,000 housing unitsin Islamabad after only eight months efforts was a starter of five millionhousing programme, which would push the construction of housing unitsacross the country.
Imran Khan said with different systems running for the poor and rich in thecountry, the present government wanted to bring uniformity and a change sothat the lot of common man could be improved.
He regretted that a small segment of society was creating hurdles in theway of change for their vested interest.
The prime minister said that those who were beneficiary of this corruptsystem and had laundered billions of rupees abroad were making hue and cryabout the government’s failure since the very first day of his government.
“The interests of country and of those who have their assets abroad arealways different,” he remarked.He said those people who took the country’s debt from Rs 6 trillion to Rs30 trillion in 10 years were raising questions about the performance ofpresent government, which came to power only eight months back.
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The prime minister described the small segment of people as the forces ofstatus quo and said those people were benefiting from the corrupt system.“No one can defeat us in this war. We have to lift the poor people”, hemaintained.
He vowed to defeat the forces of status quo and turn Pakistan into a greatcountry and nation by following the principles of the State of Madina andHoly Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).
The prime minister advised the nation to be patient and said that ups anddowns were always part of a struggle, adding, “No one should be worriedabout hard times. I have also seen ups and downs in my life. But now AllahAlmighty has given me an opportunity to do something,” he added.
Sharing his vision of a state after 23 years of political struggle, theprime minister said he was never confused and had a clear vision about thestate of Pakistan in line with the vision of founding fathers includingQuaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.
“As a welfare state is responsible to look after the downtrodden, we haveto ensure the uplift of downtrodden in Pakistan. I am very clear on it. Ifit was an easy task, it would have been done by other politicians duringthe last 70 years,” he remarked.
The prime minister said it was Holy Prophet (PBUH) who created thefirst-ever welfare state in Madina, which led to the creation of a greatMuslim Empire over the next 700 years.
He said the previous governments made the country bankrupt, adding Rs 6.5billion was being paid per day as interest on the loans taken by themduring the last ten years.
The prime minister referred to his struggle in establishing Shaukat KhanamCancer Hospital and said it were not people who could do anything but AllahAlmighty Who gave power to achieve goals. “We can do anything through faithin Allah Almighty and His blessings,” he remarked.
Minister for Finance Asad Umar, Minister for Housing Tariq Basheer Cheema,Secretary Housing and Director General Federal Government Employees HousingFoundation (FGEHF) also spoke on the occasion and highlighted variousfeatures of Naya Pakistan Housing Program.
