Imran speaking in Karachi on Wednesday. – White Star
Imran speaking in Karachi on Wednesday. – White Star

Other than promising to run Karachi like a true metropolitan and claiming that 'naya Pakistan' cannot be achieved without progress in Pakistan's largest city, the PTI chief also announced his party's housing policy during his visit to the city this week.

He pledged to build five million low-cost houses in five years to solve the country's housing problems.

Dawn reports that:

Imran also announced that 300,000 to 400,000 plots would be provided to poor families and Zakat money would be spent on social housing.

PTI Sindh president Firdaus Shamim Naqvi explained that the policy "would provide 20 million jobs".

Question: is this even a target that's possible to achieve?

This isn't the first time Imran has made such promises. In his 100 Day plan, he promised the creation of 10 million jobs over the next five years if his party came to power.

Data analyst Asim Bashir did some calculations for Dawn.com not long ago and arrived at the conclusion that such election-time claims are most likely to be hyperboles.

For example, for every other minute, the PTI must create four jobs in order to create 10 million jobs over five years.

This means that, every hour for the next five years, the PTI must create 228 jobs.

I think it's fair to say that Imran's latest claim must be taken with a few pinches of salt as well.

Opinion

Editorial

A positive note
Updated 10 Feb, 2025

A positive note

With govt unable to press growth accelerator without upending fragile recovery, sufferings of low-middle-income households are unlikely to disappear soon.
Held back
10 Feb, 2025

Held back

IT is a crying shame how women are conspicuously absent from Pakistan’s civil services. Despite comprising half ...
Justice for all
10 Feb, 2025

Justice for all

ALONG with his domestic agenda, Donald Trump is busy ripping to shreds the post-World War II ‘rules-based...
Race against time
Updated 09 Feb, 2025

Race against time

While some bright spots emerged at Breathe Pakistan moot, we must streamline our climate governance.
Open door
09 Feb, 2025

Open door

THE door is still open for talks, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has reminded the PTI. What matters, however,...
Football suspension
09 Feb, 2025

Football suspension

ONCE again, Pakistan has been ousted from the global football family. FIFA recently suspended the Pakistan Football...