By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The National Coordination Committee on housing held its weekly huddle on Thursday to deliberate over utility connections for new construction projects across the country.
The session on Thursday was presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan wherein it was briefed that new connections shall be sought and approved through an online service for which Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and State Bank are hammering out a strategy.
Prime Minister Imran Khan advised concerned authorities to issue No Objection Certificates to for new connections of gas and electricity citing there’s no shortage of anything to cause delay. The session was also attended by ex-governor State Bank Ishrat Hussain who serves as advisor to PM on institutional reforms, while assistants Shahbaz Gill and Zulfi Buhkari were present as well.
PM Khan directed authorities to avoid any burden on citizens seeking housing loans as the focus of the government was to provide economical housing to those without one. The chief secretaries of all provinces joined the session via a video link as well as the housing ministry secretary who briefed the meeting on housing project Pakistan Quarters in Karachi. 6000 apartments will be constructed in Pakistan Quarters project, said housing secretary in the session Thursday.
In the first phase, he said, 700 units will be constructed with an expenditure of Rs4 billion and the work on this phase will begin within three months for which consultations are underway with Government Sindh and concerned authorities.
The PM also advised FBR chairman, also in the session, to formulate a set of facilities for overseas Pakistani who look forward to invest in the home country. He said overseas Pakistanis are our priceless asset, and directed FBR head to remove impediments in their investments.
