April 24, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 17, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 23: Iran has expressed interest in cooperating with Pakistan in the housing and construction sectors.

At a meeting here on Tuesday, federal Minister for Housing and Works Haji Rehmatullah Kakar and Iranian Ambassador Mashaullah Shakiri discussed possibilities of cooperation between the two countries in various sectors.

The Iranian ambassador showed interest in the housing schemes the government of Pakistan planned to launch.

The schemes envisage construction of about 100,000 housing units for government employees and poor people, a spokesman of the housing ministry told this reporter.

About 1,000 houses will be built in Islamabads G-10 and G-11 sectors for government employees of 1-16 grades. A housing scheme has been planned on the Kurri Road for officers.

According to the spokesman, the ambassador and the minister also discussed prospects of economic cooperation between the two countries.

The ambassador invited the minister to attend the Asia-Pacific Conference on ‘Housing and Urban Development’ to be held in Tehran next month.

The ambassador said that Iran wanted to play its role in strengthening the economy of Pakistan.