ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed provincial chief secretaries to conduct a comprehensive survey of properties for which banks could provide loans to aspiring homeowners under the Prime Minister’s ‘Apna Ghar Scheme’.
The prime minister was chairing a meeting on access to finance for agriculture, housing and SMEs sector in Islamabad.
The meeting was informed that 147,504 applications have so far been received under the scheme, of which 53,127 have been approved. The total value of approved applications stands at Rs313.42 billion while Rs45.43 billion in loans have been disbursed to 8,739 applicants. A system is being developed to identify plots across the country that meet mortgage requirements. The pilot project will be launched in Islamabad.
Shehbaz said providing affordable housing for low-income and middle-class segments is a priority. He said that banks and financial institutions should play their role in extending loans to farmers, SMEs and the housing sector.
He said the agricultural sector is the backbone of the country’s economy, and working for its development is a national responsibility. He directed that farmers be ensured uninterrupted access to financial resources on easy terms.
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz congratulated Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani on assuming office as the newly elected Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), extending his best wishes for Gilani’s tenure. During a meeting with the AJK prime minister, Shehbaz said the Government of Pakistan would continue extending full cooperation to the AJK government for the welfare and well-being of people of the territory, a PM Office news release said. The two leaders held detailed discussions on peace, development and ongoing welfare projects in the AJK.
