Fact-check: It’s true. Apartments for low-income families to be sold to overseas Pakistanis

Online posts allege that the government-run Capital Development Authority (CDA) is selling apartments, launched for low-income families in Islamabad by then prime minister Imran Khan, to overseas Pakistanis in a bid to earn foreign remittances.

The claim is true.

Claim

A graphic that has been shared on Twitter reads: “CDA offers to sell apartments meant for ‘poor people’ to overseas Pakistanis.”

A similar claim was shared by another social media user, with the text: “CDA renames Imran Khan’s low-income housing project, set to target wealthy overseas Pakistanis for foreign remittances.”

Fact

The CDA, which provides municipal services in Pakistan’s capital city, Islamabad, has confirmed to Geo Fact Check that some of the apartments, earlier rolled out for poor families, are now up for grabs for overseas Pakistanis.

The nearly 4,000 apartments, known as the Farash Town apartments, were launched in April 2021, by then-prime minister Imran Khan under his Naya Pakistan Housing project, which aimed to provide affordable housing for low-income families.

An official at the public relations directorate of the CDA, who asked not to be named, told Geo Fact Check via WhatsApp that a total of 3,960 apartments were to be constructed.

Of these 3,960 apartments, 400 were reserved for those who live in squatter settlements in Islamabad. These apartments, even today, will be dispersed as per the original plan, the official explained.

After reserving 400 for squatters, 2,000 will now be sold to Pakistani residents and overseas Pakistanis.

Earlier these 2,000 apartments were to be funded on a subsidised rate and allotted by the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA), a state-run construction corporation set up in 2020, to low-income families.

“But the NAPHDA failed to transfer the subsidy to CDA till date,” the CDA official said, “Therefore, we have decided to complete the project through our own resources, with improved specifications, and recover its cost by selling these apartments on the market price.”

An official of the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority was also contacted for their version. He said that the matter was still under discussion.

As of now, these 2,000 apartments will be sold to Pakistani residents and overseas Pakistanis.

In this regard, the CDA has also published advertisements in various newspapers. The text of which reads: “The government of Pakistan and the Capital Development Authority presents a golden opportunity to invest in an affordable housing project under the CDA’s umbrella for overseas Pakistanis.”

These two-bedroom apartments, renamed Nilore Overseas Residencia, will only be made available if payments are made in US dollars through banking channels, the advert adds.

The other 1,560 apartments out of 3,960, are to be sponsored by the CDA, using its own resources, and then dispersed through balloting and auction.

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