MINGORA: Parveen, a 70-year-old widow of Matta tehsil, worked hard as domestic servant for more than half of her life to materialise her dream of having her own house.

However, her income as a domestic worker was hardly enough to earn a livelihood let alone buying a house. But the announcement of New Pakistan Housing Programme by Prime Minister Imran Khan revived her hope for having a house. Now she is optimistic to be selected in the programme.

Holding a one-page application in her hand with her Computerised National Identity Card, she was sitting in front of Nadra mobile van at Grassy Ground in Mingora to submit documents for a house.

Official says so far 6,000 applications have been processed in the district

“I have been carrying out domestic chores in different houses to earn livelihood for my family after the death of my husband. I have one son but he is ill and I don’t have money even for his treatment,” Ms parveen told Dawn. She added that she had only Rs350 and would be empty pocket once she submitted her application.

Hundreds of people from across the district were lined up in long queues to submit their applications at Grassy Ground where three mobile vans of Nadra were present to process the applications. Swat is one of the seven districts included in the first phase of the housing programme.

Bakht Sultana, another elderly woman, was also waiting for her turn to submit application. She told Dawn that her husband died long ago and she had the responsibility to take care of her five children.

“I have two sons but the elder one is mentally retarded and the other one is still very young so my two daughters and I have to work in rich peoples’ houses to earn livelihood,” she said. She added that she had to pay Rs5,000 monthly rent for a single room.

“I am hopeful to get a house in this scheme. I appeal to prime minister to accept my application,” she said.

Sanaullah, a resident of Bahrain, said that he was presently living in a rented house in Matta. He said that he was the sole bread earner of his nine-member family.

“When I heard about the housing scheme, I immediately came here to submit application to get my own house. I am tired of working as a daily wager to arrange food, clothes and medicines for my family besides rent of the house,” he told Dawn.

The registration process for the New Pakistan Housing Scheme was opened by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday after which more than 6,000 people submitted applications for the scheme.

“We charge Rs250 per application and so far we have processed more than 6,000 applications. We scan the application form and send it to Nadra headquarters in Islamabad for further process,” said Murad Khan, the head of the registration team. He added that one van was specified for special persons, women and elderly people.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2018

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