Army offers to assist govt on PM’s Housing plan

Lt-Gen Moazzam Ajaz gives detailed presentation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army offered on Thursday to assist the federal government in implementing its ambitious Prime Minister’s Housing Programme aimed at building five million residential units for lower- and middle-income segments of society.

The offer was made during a meeting of the taskforce on housing chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan here.

Army’s representatives gave a detailed presentation to the PM and members of the taskforce on its experience in building low-cost housing units for its personnel.

“Lt-Gen Moazzam Ajaz, the Quarter-Master General, made a detailed presentation on army’s experience in catering to housing needs of its personnel. He also offered Army’s … assistance in implementing the five million housing project,” read a statement issued by the PM office after the meeting.

The PM, it was decided, would formally launch this project in the first half of next month and the process of registration would also commence soon after the project’s launch.

The meeting was informed that an apex body would be created to ensure the project’s seamless execution.



The Prime Minister said that besides utilizing expertise of both the public and the private sectors, successful financial models, including that of Akhuwwat, would be replicated to ensure success and affordability.

The Prime Minister directed the task force to quickly finalise the plan in this regard, including a legislative framework for consideration by the provincial and the federal governments.

The PM was informed that a comprehensive housing policy framework was being developed for offering one-window solution to local as well as foreign investors.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Punjab’s housing minister Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, MNA Najeeb Haroon, Quarter-Master General (QMG) Lt-Gen Moazzam Ajaz, DG Army (Lands) Maj-General Naveed Safdar, Secretary Housing Dr Imran Zeb Khan and Saleem Ranjha of the Akhuwwat Foundation.

PM appoints parliamentary secretaries

Also on Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the appointment of 15 MNAs, including nine women lawmakers as parliamentary secretaries for various ministries and divisions.

All of these nine women PTI legislators were elected to the National Assembly on reserved seats.

Andleeb Abbas was appointed as the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs, Aliya Hamza Malik for Textile, Tashfeen Safdar for Housing and Works, Javaria Zafar Aheer for Information and Broadcasting, Rukhsana Naveed for Climate Change, Rubina Jamil for Defence Production, Nausheen Hamid for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Wajiha Akram for Federal Education and Professional Training and Shahdana Gulzar Khan for Commerce.

Mukhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, the son of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, was appointed as the parliamentary secretary for Finance, Lal Chand for Human Rights, Jamil Ahmed Khan for Maritime Affairs, Raja Riaz Ahmed for Petroleum, Farrukh Habib for Railways, and Zahoor Hussain Qureshi for Power.

The ministry of parliamentary affairs issued a notification for these appointments following the Prime Minister’s approval.