ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed completion of ongoing federal government’s low-cost housing projects without any delay, besides collaboration with private sector to boost investment in housing sector.
The prime minister also instructed ensuring a third-party validation of construction in the federal government housing projects.
During a meeting to review the ongoing housing projects, the prime minister was given a detailed briefing by the Housing and Works Ministry about the progress on the ongoing reforms and policy measures in its various departments.
It was informed that consultations with all the stakeholders for amendments in the National Housing Policy 2001 had been completed and the process for its final approval would be completed by March 2025 as per the prime minister’s instruction.
The meeting was further apprised that the system for allocating houses to the government employees and grant of rents had been digitised, which would help eliminate corruption and bring transparency in the system.
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The prime minister was also apprised of the ongoing and future projects under the Pakistan Housing Authority.
The meeting was told that work was progressing rapidly on 630 low-cost residential units in Kuchlak, Quetta and 4,112 residential units in Islamabad.
Sharif directed for prompt completion of these projects and third-party validation.
It was further informed that work on 5,728 low-cost residential units in Peshawar would begin soon while work on 5,600 residential units in Rawalpindi and Islamabad would kick-start in the near future.
The prime minister directed seeking of services from the reputable construction companies for all these residential projects.
He said renowned international construction companies should be selected for projects for government employees and the public.
He said selection process of the construction companies should be conducted through a transparent process and on merit, adding these projects should be completed within the stipulated time frame.
He was given a detailed briefing on the affairs of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).
The meeting was briefed on the digitisation and reforms of the FGEHA, online payments, digital systems for complaint resolution, one-window operations, real-time monitoring, geo-tagging, and other reforms which were being implemented to enhance transparency and efficiency in the system.
The meeting was also informed about different projects under the authority for constructing international standard facilities in Islamabad, including a five-star hotel, hospital, IT park, apartment complexes, and international standard schools.
The prime minister directed the submission of a comprehensive plan detailing construction costs and the required time for these projects.
The meeting was informed about the dissolution of PWD and other non-functional organisations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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