Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Air Marshal Arshad Malik on Thursday has been appointed as new chairman of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry made the announcement in a media conference after attending a cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The information minister said that PIA is in a debt of Rs 406 billion and the national carrier is facing a debt of Rs 2 billion every month.

Fawad Chaudhry further announced that Aoun Abbas has been appointed as chairman of Baitul Malk.

While commenting on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme the information minister said that houses will be built on government land and will be leased to people on low rates.

Earlier on Wednesday the prime minister announced the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme. The prime minister said the target of the government is to ensure provision of five million affordable houses for under-privileged classes during the next five years.

The prime minister expressed the confidence that the program would not only help realize the dream of a shelter for the poor but also create employment opportunities. It will also attract local and foreign investment and stimulate about forty related industries.

Imran Khan announced formation of a ‘Naya Pakistan Housing Authority’ (NPHA) to serve as one window for all construction related formalities. The authority would be set up in three months and till then a task force would look after the housing project.