Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to dissolve the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA), a flagship project launched under former prime minister Imran Khan’s administration. Reliable sources confirmed that the premier has opted to wind up the authority, which was responsible for planning, developing, constructing, and managing real estate projects nationwide. In this connection, the contract of Major General (retd) Amir Aslam Khan, who had been serving as the NAPHDA chairman, has not been renewed. Meanwhile, Captain (retd) Muhammad Zafar Iqbal has been appointed as the acting chairman of the authority. His appointment will be for a period of three months, according to a notification issued by the Establishment Division. According to the notification, Captain (retd) Iqbal will hold additional charge as acting chairman either for three months or until a permanent appointment is made. Iqbal is a BS-20 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service and is currently serving as the director general of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority.
The authority had an annual budget of Rs400 million and, over the past five years, its total budget amounted to Rs2 billion. Despite this substantial funding, its output remained zero, sources added. NAPHDA was officially established on January 15, 2020, following the passage of the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority Bill by the Senate of Pakistan in 2019.
Read More : Children Suffer in Scorching Classrooms; Punjab May Shut Schools Early
