(Islamabad) A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan was
informed Thursday that more than 100 projects had been planned under the
Karachi Transformation Plan (KTP); to be completed in three phases at the cost
of Rs1.117 trillion. Imran Khan presided over the meeting on the Karachi
Transformation Plan, which was attended by federal ministers Shaikh Rasheed
Ahmed; Asad Umar; Faisal Vawda; Finance Adviser Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The meeting was
briefed on the progress made so far on these projects. Stressing on the timely
completion of projects, the prime minister said that a permanent solution to
Karachi's problems was imperative. The prime minister said that the damage
caused by rainwater in Karachi during monsoon every year was due to illegal
constructions on drains.
The prime minister directed that alternate arrangements should be
made in advance for the deserving residents of Karachi before removing the
encroachments. He also directed the formation of a technical committee under
the Ministry of Planning to formulate recommendations for enhancing the
capacity and utility of the K4 project to supply water to Karachi. Meanwhile;
Imran Khan presided over a meeting on Pakistan Islands Development Authority
and Ravi Urban Development Authority. The meeting was attended by Sindh
Governor Imran Ismail; chairmen of both authorities and senior government
officials. The meeting was also attended by representatives of AWTEC; a Dutch
company interested in investing in projects. AWTEC Netherlands proposes to
build a waste energy and desalination plant in Karachi. It also expressed keen
interest in the Ravi project and the establishment of a renewable energy plant
in Lahore. The prime minister said that the problems in Pakistan are increasing
day by day due to lack of proper management of waste. He said that Pakistan’s
water resources; especially the coastal belt, are most affected by it. The
prime minister said that such projects would help in providing world class
housing facilities in our cities. Meanwhile; chairing the weekly meeting of the
National Coordinating Committee for Housing, Construction and Development; the
premier said there is no shortage of electricity in the country, so there is no
justification for delay in providing new power connections. He instructed to
make the approval procedure for utility services easier for the consumers. The
meeting was attended by Adviser to PM Ishrat Hussain, Imran Ismail; special
assistants Dr. Shahbaz Gill and Zulfiqar Bukhari besides senior officials. The
prime minister directed that under the scheme, no additional financial burden
should be imposed on those who take loans from banks on easy terms to get their
house. He said the aim of the government is to provide shelter to the homeless
to make sure that they are provided with facilities and basic amenities. He
emphasized that the long process of getting approvals for obtaining various utility
services should be facilitated as the prevailing procedure is creating difficulties
for the construction sector. The premier directed the FBR chairman and other
agencies concerned to provide facilities to overseas investors. He said: ‘Pakistanis
living abroad are our most valuable assets so barriers to their participation
in domestic business activities should be removed on a priority basis.’
The meeting was briefed by the energy and petroleum divisions on
facilitating the supply of electricity and gas connections for new construction
projects. The Ministry of Energy was
directed to formulate standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the construction
of new grid stations and implement them in the future. The secretary, Ministry
of Housing and Works; informed the meeting about the Pakistan Quarters Housing
Project to be built in Karachi. Under the project; 6,000 apartments will be
constructed for which consultations are under way with the Sindh government and
other departments concerned. In the first phase of the project, work will start
on 700 residential units at a cost of Rs 4 billion over the next three months.
He said that after the approval of the ministry, five private plots in
Islamabad were auctioned for more than Rs 13 billion, which would provide
employment to 10,000 people besides bringing investment of Rs50 billion. Meanwhile;
Zulfiqar Bukhari called on the prime minister and they discussed the plan to
build 1,500 houses under the Workers Welfare Fund. The project will provide
standard and affordable housing as well as all basic amenities and will be
inaugurated in January next. The prime minister lauded the project as a
practical manifestation of the current government's commitment for affordable
housing to people. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister
Office, the Asian Development Bank signed development projects in two districts
of Punjab. Special Assistant to PM Usman Dar said the prime minister signed an
agreement to provide financial assistance to development projects. Under the
agreement, development works worth Rs40 billion will be carried out in Sahiwal
and Sialkot.
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