Qureshi briefs PM on US, UNGA visits

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi have expressed satisfaction about engagements with the United States in Washington and earlier with world leaders in New York during previous week and expressed hope that United States would soon come to terms with the facts of the region.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who returned from New York and Washington after two week hectic trip in the wee hours of Friday, met the Prime Minister and reported him about the proceedings of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and his meetings with the world leaders on the brinks of the event.

Well placed sources told The News that Foreign Minister Qureshi hinted about the change in the tone and tenor of the United States as Americans have planned to undertake fresh initiative for resolving Afghan imbroglio. US President’s special representative for peace in Afghanistan Zalmai Khalilzad is coming to the region on Tuesday for initiating his efforts for peace in the war-torn country. Khalilzad will also visit Islamabad besides going to Kabul.

Qureshi who spoke in Urdu while representing Pakistan in the UNGA told the Prime Minister that Pakistan’s message was well received by the members of the World Body. UN Secretary General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres also appreciated Pakistan’s role in eradicating terrorism and objectives of the United Nation. The Foreign Minister visited Washington on the invitation of his US counterpart Mike Pompeo and had two meetings with him; first in New York during the UNGA and second in Washington. The later was a structured meeting. The sources said that Prime Minister appreciated Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s work at the UNGA and later in Washington during his meetings with the high-ups of the US administration.

It has been officially stated that the Foreign Minister called on Prime Minister at the Prime Minister Office (PMO) on Friday. Foreign Minister briefed the Prime Minister regarding his recent visit to United States where he represented Pakistan at UN General Assembly session and held important meetings at the sidelines of UNGA and at Washington including meeting with US Secretary of State.

In the meanwhile Prime Minister Khan has expressed satisfaction over the progress made so far by the Housing Task Force on 5 million housing. Chairing a meeting on “5 million Housing Project” of the PTI government at PMO, he reiterated that provision of 5 million housing especially to the low income groups and regularisation of katchi-abadis is a priority of the present government. He said the 5 million housing project besides addressing housing issues would be a force multiplier in generating economic activities through creation of jobs and providing a boost to allied sectors of construction and housing sector. The Prime Minister directed the committee to finalise modalities for its launch.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Asad Umar, Minister for Housing Ch. Tariq Bashir Cheema, Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Adviser to Prime Minister Abdul Razak Dawood, Housing Minister for Punjab Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, senior government officials of the federal and provincial governments and others.

The meeting deliberated upon the modalities of launch of the initiative, the legislative framework for implementation of the project and the establishment of an apex body to serve as one-window facility for ensuring of an enabling environment.

The meeting also discussed various financial models that could be followed to ensure maximum participation of the private sector on one hand and to ensure affordability of the housing facility for the low income groups, on the other.