Chinese group offers $1bn investment in housing sector

Bureau Report Published October 26, 2014

PESHAWAR: A high-level team of Chinese investors called on Chief Minister Pervez Khattak at the CM Secretariat here on Saturday and offered $1 billion investment in two mega housing schemes in the province.

According to a handout, the group lauded decision of the provincial government to launch mega housing schemes equipped with all basic civic amenities, including safety and security in view of the residential requirements of the ever increasing population of the province. It assured the government of all-out support in implementation of the projects.

These projects include Mega Education City on M-1, Nowshera, Mega Sports City, Peshawar, New City Abbottabad and New City and Tourism Resort in Chitral.

During his talks with the group, led by CEO of Shanghai company Mr Ma Shi Jing, Mr Khattak said that both the mega projects would be big cities with all housing facilities and availability of basic amenities, but these are named as education and sports cities.

CM’s adviser on housing Amjad Khan, parliamentary secretary for planning and development Khaleequr Rehman, adviser on investment Dilroze Khan, chief secretary Amjad Ali Khan, secretary housing engineer Zahid Arif, and high-ups of the relevant departments were also present on the occasion.

The chief minister said that new housing schemes were the need of the hour to meet residential requirements of the growing population and reduce pressure on the urban localities.

He welcomed the offer of the Chinese company for the big investment in housing sector of the province and informed it that all schemes were planned to be of international standard equipped with all modern civic facilities.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2014

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Pak47

Oct 26, 2014 09:43am

What is such a need to call on China. Does it look like we can't build houses ?

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Rajab Ali

Oct 26, 2014 09:43am

This must shut the critics of PTI government in KPK. Well done Khatak! Keep it up.

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Javeed

Oct 26, 2014 09:44am

Good initiative, get the best of Chinese friendship

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Humza

Oct 26, 2014 09:50am

@Rajab Ali Why don't PTI do dharna against themselves in KP and scare away the Chinese investors like they did in other parts of the country? Don't worry, they will cause more instability and the Chinese will run away from this project too if Imran Khan has his way.

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khanman

Oct 26, 2014 09:51am

@Pak47 well no, its not just about building sir.

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Zahid

Oct 26, 2014 10:01am

@Rajab Ali should the $30B investment that Sharif was going to get from China silence his critics? Or that doesn't count? The fact that planes don't land in the night in Peshawar any more is also not an issue. Neither is the daily bombings an issue. The poverty hasn't reduced, the education sector hasn't improved but that is all fine too..

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Syed

Oct 26, 2014 10:04am

Loan or investment ?

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patriot

Oct 26, 2014 10:14am

PTI is copying PML-N. The list goes on like this: Metro Bus Peshawar from Metro Bus Lahore and Rawalpindi, KPK Sasta Atta Scheme from Punjab's Sasti Roti Scheme, Peshawar Waste Management from Lahore and Faisalabad Waste Management Company, Education City on M1 from Lahore's Knowledge Park, New Abbottabad City and Housing Scheme from Ravi Riverfront. Bravo Shahbaz Sharif

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Zain

Oct 26, 2014 10:21am

Does this company have a name? Seems like it's a scam.

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pak47

Oct 26, 2014 10:25am

@khanman Whats wrong in trying Nespak, Descon, Habib Rafiq, Pargon Dha, Bahria and hundreds of other domestic firms. You get designers, builders, and investors. To add more to your knowledge, some of them are working overseas projects.

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Ahmed USA

Oct 26, 2014 10:27am

Thank you China!!! You are really friends in need and friends indeed!!!...

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Oct 26, 2014 10:28am

Appreciating and welcoming.

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Shamsher singh bajwa

Oct 26, 2014 10:37am

What will the Chinese be getting in return? Is pakistan not capable of building homes?

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Oct 26, 2014 10:40am

@Syed investment. They will recover the investment from the sale of the residential units and Pakistan gets extra housing. Sounds like a win win.

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Rajab Ali

Oct 26, 2014 10:41am

@Humza Thanks! Dharna is just in capital and not in the provinces where investment may be attracted. But sadly enough, that is not happening. Dharna is all about good governance like KPK!

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PenChot

Oct 26, 2014 10:48am

This investment is due to Imran Khan's dharna and his charisma. When Imran Khan becomes the PM, every Pakistani will be rolling in money with foreign investment flowing in, Pakistani movie industry will surpass Bollywood, tourists flocking to Pakistan and there will be revival of international cricket in Pakistan. There will be no load shedding and energy crisis, no floods, no drones, no secretarian violence, no acid attacks and no Taliban. India will give up Kashmir and also Siachen.

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Abdul

Oct 26, 2014 10:52am

@Pak47 We can off course build but we need money which we don't have. China is looking to invest it's excess capital in good projects. I think it's a good idea.

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Kara

Oct 26, 2014 11:06am

Is this a joke? $1billion investment is being made by nameless company. Taking the gullible people on a ride.

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Sohan

Oct 26, 2014 11:17am

Also keep in check what Pakistan has to give in return. May be some other part of POK? If Chinese are investing 1billion USD, they will make sure they get 2-3 billion USD worthy in return... :-)

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Tahir Amjad

Oct 26, 2014 11:25am

Khattak sahb. Grab this opportunity and make sure this investment comes in kpk to end the drought of any developmental activity in the province. Want to hear more good news about kpk and not just dancing on jitna v Imran khan jitna. Offer hydro power generation sites to Chinese for development. Make naya kpk so we can offer u 5 year term to make naya pakistan.

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zeeshan

Oct 26, 2014 11:28am

Walking in the foot steps of shahbaz sharif....well done PTI...but remember "baap baap hota hay"...you will be busy in such schemes and shahbaz will come up with some new idea...again you will be busy telling masses how bad shahbaz new scehmes are and eventually you' ll start doing the same. One difference is for sure... Shahbaz has completed whatever he has committed ..and ex jiala CM of KPK has yet to finish any scheme..be it dams bridges or schools

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bukhari.m

Oct 26, 2014 11:36am

Good. must avoid anti federal govt activities and concentrate on these kind of projects.

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Shayan Emran

Oct 26, 2014 11:44am

@Pak47 yes we cant. we have no money nd we need help from China our only Ally

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ali

Oct 26, 2014 11:49am

Good one we need such type of investments rather then Aid which straight goes in the pockets of politicians.

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Asif

Oct 26, 2014 11:54am

@Shamsher singh bajwa May be barter, or so but you know Curiosity kills the Cat. Better not to be inquisitive.

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seemab

Oct 26, 2014 11:55am

@Shamsher singh bajwa Pakistan will be getting same benefits from chineese investment ...which india will be getting building tech city in gujarat..and asking for foreign investors.....sorry begging..we didnt ask chineese to come..they r showing themselves interest :)

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iyer

Oct 26, 2014 12:36pm

A billion dollars for 2 housing projects? From Mr. Ma Shi Jing (Mr. It's 10 o'clock) of "Shanghai Company". Sure why not. It's not like the people are not used to not hearing the truth from the government.

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Hitman

Oct 26, 2014 12:38pm

@zain the name of company and ceo of is written in start of paragraph 3 just dont be blind critic like pmln be matur .

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Sana

Oct 26, 2014 12:49pm

Investment must never be on housing sector as people can do it themselves,sell it off and make profit.China could have invested in making companies.That would help.If China invests 1 Bn in housing,it will expect 500 times more from people.

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asghar

Oct 26, 2014 01:05pm

Good job if matterialised.

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sohail

Oct 26, 2014 01:16pm

It was better if they would have sorted out Regi Lalma first rather jumping on new venture and the old one's are waiting from decades.

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SYED HASSAN HASEEB

Oct 26, 2014 01:56pm

very good PTI , pl try and get it done in a proper way . this will help common man to get home and lot of problems of common man will be solved with good/cheap housing.

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Oct 26, 2014 02:01pm

@Rajab Ali : For your information - this is not PTI rather Central Government in every country which deals foreign affairs.

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Rajab Ali

Oct 26, 2014 02:17pm

@MA Right, but proposals and plannings come from province only. The same could have been done by other provinces too!

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A shah

Oct 26, 2014 02:24pm

Another nail in our coffin! We are selling ourselves to China

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1947 ka Pakistani

Oct 26, 2014 02:27pm

Even China is not our ally, they are after their own economical benefits... and not to mention the warm water ports.... let them have access to warm water through India and see how friendship evaporates....

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Iqbal

Oct 26, 2014 02:38pm

Well done. This is a sign of trust and confidence in KPK govt

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Arby

Oct 26, 2014 02:39pm

Ma Shi Jing is the chief engineer of the shanghai municipal commission more a planner than an executive.

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Imaginator

Oct 26, 2014 02:48pm

@Patriot PMLN's thinking capacity moves around lahore only.... Thats the difference between PTI and PMLN.

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dipak

Oct 26, 2014 03:26pm

@Shamsher singh bajwa pak. people govt. and engineers are unable to do housing colony in their country and in such simple cases they want help of foreigners, in technology they can make missiles and atom bombs but unable to make residential complexes. investment in pak. is at a high risk, as law and orders are completely collapsed.

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Rajab Ali

Oct 26, 2014 03:37pm

@Zahid : how many $30b worth investment/loans came and how they ended up is an open secret. Thanks to our successive governments for our financial and security disasters. NS is no exception!

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Ganga Din

Oct 26, 2014 03:57pm

This is very dangerous. We don't want China every where in our lives.

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Asif

Oct 26, 2014 04:36pm

And Chinese investors refused to work with PMLN govt on coal project. Says it all who Chinese trust. Abraham Lincoln probably said this for PMLN and PPP. "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."

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rizwan

Oct 26, 2014 04:40pm

I love how the PTI folks are tasting a dose of their own medicine in the comments above. Yes, please continue making baseless allegations about Shabazz Sharif. We'really looking forward to doing the same about Imran Khan and company.

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rizwan

Oct 26, 2014 04:44pm

@ImaVPNginator Really? Because I thought the motorway was more than in just Lahore. What a sad argument the PTI people make, as a result of not knowing much else to say.

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PenChot

Oct 26, 2014 04:59pm

@Hitman "@zain the name of company and ceo of is written in start of paragraph 3 just dont be blind critic like pmln be matur" Where is the name? The third para only has Shanghai based company. Go google Ma Shi jing if there is any CEO by this name - it only pops up in Pakistani newspapers as the CEO of a nameless company investing $1B. Don't be fooled by this scam - it is nothing more than an email from someone in Nigeria that you have won $1 million lottery.

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Naseem

Oct 26, 2014 07:05pm

Good Work PTI, Keep itup. Chinese Investment will increase the confidence of local investment as well.

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Naokhaiz Afaqui

Oct 27, 2014 10:49am

@PenChot Enjoyed your satire :)

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Mohsin Raza

Oct 27, 2014 11:42am

@Pak47 We can build houses dear, as we have equally good contractors, but building houses needs not only skill, but investment as well. It is appreciable that International investors are interested.

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