LAHORE: Balloting for the LDA City Naya Pakistan Apartments was held here at the chief minister’s office on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar pressing a computer key for allotment of 2,000 housing units to as many persons, out of the 13,277 applicants.

On the occasion, Mr Buzdar asked the successful applicants to approach the Bank of Punjab or its nominated banks for letters of comfort.

The value of an apartment is around Rs2.7 million, while the allottees can also submit a separate application for the subsidy.Those getting the subsidy will submit 10 percent (of the total amount) as down payment, while the others will have to deposit 21pc. The rest of the payment will be made in easy monthly installments by the allotees after occupying the apartments.

The apartments will be allotted to the employees of the federal and provincial governments, besides those of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), in the first phase. He said the submission of more than 13,000 applications for the apartments was a proof of a huge public trust in the project designed on a no-profit, no-loss basis.

He pledged the apartments would be handed over to the allottees in a short span of time and the construction standards would be better than those of any private housing scheme.

Provincial ministers Mahmoodur Rasheed, Aslam Iqbal, Murad Raas, chief secretary, information secretary, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, LDA Vice-Chairman S M Imran and its director generalwere also present.

Meanwhile, referring to the recent unrest in the country over blasphemy issue, the chief minister in a statement said no Muslim could ever dare to show irreverence for the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

He regretted that some opposition parties tried to politicise the recent tragic incident and added that their negative attitude was deplorable.

The opposition leaders tried to add fuel to the fire, but their nefarious designs had beenfrustrated, he said.

Accusing the opposition of trying to divide the nation over the issue, when it needed unity and sanity, he said this “irresponsible attitude would be remembered in bad words”.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2021