Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. - File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday gave himself credit of recent and past uplift activities in the federal capital.

Speaking at a ground-breaking ceremony of Pakistan Housing Authority’s (PHA) housing scheme here at Kurri Road, prime minister said most of the important government buildings were constructed during his stint as federal housing minister.

“Similarly, Islamabad witnessed unprecedented development during last four years under my supervision as Capital Development Authority (CDA) is presently working under cabinet division. Now people feel a difference in Islamabad,” Mr Gilani said.Prime minister said important buildings like Parliament House, Prime Minister House, Faisal Mosque, Minister’s Enclave and Gulshan-i-Jinnah apartments (for government employees) were constructed during his tenure as housing minister.

He claimed he had floated the idea of Minister’s Enclave in 1984 when he visited Indonesia where he first saw such a secure and fenced housing facility for the politicians.

“On my return from Indonesia, I met the then prime minister Muhammad Khan Junejo and shared with him the idea of Minister’s Enclave. He appreciated the proposal and gave me go ahead for launching the scheme and I started construction of the enclave in 1985,” the prime minister said.

Mr Gilani also shared his conversation about Prime Minister House with the then president Ziaul Haq.

“After its completion, Gen Zia questioned why this building was higher than President House. I replied as prime minister is an elected representative therefore his house should stand higher than president’s,” he said.

Later, during speech, prime minister assured senior bureaucrats that the project of PHA flats for officers of BPS-20 and above would be completed within six months.He said the scheme to construct one million housing units was launched under Prime Minister Housing Project which he announced in his first speech in the National assembly.

“I have also directed the minister of housing and works to launch low-cost housing schemes for the poor not only in Islamabad but in other cities of the country,” he said.

Prime minister said he had recently visited Qatar and offered Pakistan’s technical assistance and manpower for organising Olympic-2020 there.

Housing minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, Secretary Housing Kamran Lashari and Director General PHA Rasul Bax Phulpoto also spoke on the occasion.

It was informed during the ceremony that it was the first housing scheme of its kind under which official houses of government servants would become their property at the time of retirement.

It is pertinent to mention here that two other schemes are also being launched for employees of BPS-1 to BPS-19 in sectors I-12 and I-16.