Precious govt assets to be sold out: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that precious government properties will be sold for better utilisation of funds on public welfare projects.

He warned that stern action would be initiated against officers found to be creating hurdles in the identification of non-utilised government-owned properties. “The non-utilisation of government assets in an effective manner in the past had manifest criminal negligence,” he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, during a meeting over the utilisation of numerous properties owned by different ministries and federal departments on Wednesday, here directed asset management committee, relevant federal ministries, and provincial governments to resolve all matters pertaining to the identified properties within a week, so that decision over their proper utilisation could be implemented.

Privatization Commission Secretary Rizwan Malik apprised the meeting about the progress made in the proper utilisation of properties owned by different ministries and federal government departments and their possible privatisation.

He said under the decisions of the federal cabinet, during the months of February to March, every ministry was tasked to identify at least three such properties. In the first phase, different ministries had identified 32 such properties so far.

The secretary added that services of a financial adviser were hired in October for making assessment value of these properties, and giving final shape to the future mechanism in this regard.

He said that marketing for these properties would be held at the Dubai Expo to invite overseas Pakistanis and other investors. The prime minister said that proper utilisation of these properties and lands worth billions of rupees, which had been kept unused for years and spending of income generated from their use upon the public welfare and provision of basic facilities like schools, colleges, and hospitals, were the significant part of the government’s policy.

He observed that different federal departments and institutions had been running into annual losses despite having such precious assets.