| Pakistan keen to acquire Chinese technology used in housing projects |
| Monday,November 02,2009 Posted: 01:06 BJT(1706 GMT) |
| From:APP Article type:Reproduced |
BEIJING, OCT 28 (APP): Pakistan wants to benefit from the efficient, environment friendly, energy saving, low cost, with stand natural calamities like earthquake and rapid construction techniques of China in housing sector. In order to acquire firsthand knowledge of these technologies and materials being used by China in its various housing projects and high-rise buildings, a high level Pakistani delegation is currently on a visit here and holding meetings with various top Chinese enterprises. The delegation included Syed Turrab Haider Zaidi, Senior Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, Col (Rtd) Subha Sadiq Malik, Director General Land Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) and Athar Nawaz Malik, Director General (C&PM) of PHA. “We have big backlog to fill”, said Syed Turrab Zaidi adding that we faced short fall of 7 million houses. Zaidi in an interview with APP on Wednesday said that their visit is the follow-up of the top Pakistani leadership and functionaries here including Federal Minister for Housing Rahmatullah Kakar and Secretary General to President, Salman Farooqui who all were keen to address the housing problems of the common people particularly of government employees and low income group segment of our society on priority. He said that in this connection we exchanged views and held meetings with various Chinese enterprises including China Harbour Engineering Corporation’s and MCC Real Estate. The China Harbour has already presence in Pakistan. The company has the credit of building Gwadar Port and engaged in dredging work at Karachi Port, while MCC has enormous experience under its belt in construction and has built a number of high-rise buildings and business and commercial centers in its own country. Syed Turrab Zaidi said that what he transpired from these meetings was that if we use Chinese technology as well as material, we can not only be able to quickly construct housing and apartment units, but it would also be low cost, environment friendly and energy saving. He said that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has announced the construction of one million affordable housing units for people falling in the bracket of low income group all over the country. On return, Zaidi said the delegation will submit report its findings to the government functionaries for study. He said that one of the plans is to construct high-rise buildings in major cities, provincial headquarters and Islamabad as the availability of land is shrinking and cost of land is sky-rocketing, so acquition of a house or apartment for a low paid employee is difficult. Another plan is that the government to provide land while construction to be carried out by various construction companies. Regarding his meetings here, Zaidi said that we wanted to know the Chinese building codes, civic amenities, new invention and that what kind of structure, including steel and other material China was using for their housing units including building of skyscrapers that withstand seismic shocks as well. He said that government is committed that all federal government employees would be given an apartment or a house on or before retirement, while the provincial government would be directed to launch similar schemes for their employees. Director General, Athar Nawaz Malik said that in line with the vision of the Prime Minister’s housing programme of one million housing units per year all over Pakistan, this mega project is aimed specifically for the benefit of the lower and middle income groups with the objective to provide affordable house to every Pakistani family. Nawaz Malik said that PHA has already constructed 4470 housing units and apartments in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar. |
| (Source: English Site of Pakistan) |
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