KARACHI, Sept 23: Federal Minister for Housing and Works Syed Safwanullah on Friday said the government will introduce new laws for high-rise buildings particularly in Karachi.

He said this during the inaugural session of the first National Housing Conference 2005 organised by The Partners Group in collaboration with the IAP, the HBFC and ABAD at a local hotel.

He said from 6.5 million to 7.5 million housing units were required in the country and this demand was increasing by the day.

Mr Safwanullah said the government would provide all possible opportunities and facilities for investment in the construction sector. The government, he added, was taking important steps to ensure availability of housing facilities for common people at affordable prices and the same would be announced in the next housing policy.

The minister called upon the construction experts to take special care of quality and time frame. He urged the bankers to come forward and help provide lucrative financing facilities in this sector.

Addressing the conference, HBFC Chairman Zaigham Rizvi said the corporation was keen to provide all facilities to its old and new customers and has taken important measures to undo the “agent culture” so that people could have the loan facility directly.

KBCA Chief Controller Brig (retd) A.S. Nasir said that the authority was taking all measures to check illegal constructions in the city and to regularize illegal structures.

The conference was also addressed by Brig Javed Ashraf of Defence Housing Authority, Amir Siddiqi of National Bank, Zahid Hanif of Union Bank, Aqeel Bilgrami of IAP, Mumtaz Jilani of NESPAK, and Prof Noman Ahmed of NED university. —PPI/APP