Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said that as the World Bank (WB) estimates showed reduction in the incidence of poverty in Pakistan to 4.8% in FY 2021 from 5.3% in FY 2020, it was the result of government’s policies of productivity-led growth to create employment. According to the World Bank estimates based on international poverty line of US $ 1.9 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) 2011 per day, the incidence of poverty in Pakistan was expected to continue downwards to 4.0% by FY 2023, he said in a twitter post. “Acc to World Bank estimates based on int’l poverty line of $1.90 PPP 2011 per day, poverty incidence has fallen to 4.8% in FY21 from 5.3% in FY20; & is expected to continue downwards to 4.0% by FY23. This is result of our policies of productivity-led growth to create employment,” the Prime Minister tweeted. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday directed the housing authorities to ensure swift implementation of the laws providing for construction of vertical housing units. The prime minister, chairing a meeting on the matters pertaining to Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD), also called for taking all out measures to provide quality housing to the federal government employees. He said the government was pursuing a policy to provide the best housing facilities to the public sector employees. For this, the PWD was being transformed into a smart and effective organization. The prime minister also directed the authorities concerned to ensure proper care of all housing units of the federal government. Federal ministers Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema and Asad Umar, Finance Advisor Shaukat Fayaz Tarin, Parliamentary Secretary on Housing Tashfin Safdar, Chairman of Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority Lt. Gen (retd) Anwar Ali Haider attended the meeting. Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday extended his felicitation to the government and people of Turkey celebrating the Republic Day on the day. On October 29, 1923, republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk officially declared the name of the nation and proclaimed the country’s status as a republic. Following a vote in the Grand National Assembly, Atatürk was elected the first president of the Republic of Turkey by unanimous vote. Since then, Turkey has celebrated Republic Day on October 29 annually. “Warm felicitations to brotherly govt & (people) of Turkey on 98th Republic Day,” the prime minister said on Twitter. He said the bonds between the two peoples were forged centuries ago. Firmly anchored in common faith, shared history and culture, both the countries continued to transform their long-standing ties into strategic partnership. Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday chaired a review meeting on Kashmir Development Package wherein he directed the authorities concerned to retrieve the state land in a fair manner and carry out forestation after recovery. He said while removing the encroachments, the poor people should be provided with an alternative. Moreover, he also called for providing facilities to the vendors on the pattern of Islamabad. The prime minister said along with the promotion of tourism, the protection of forest cover was also equally essential. The meeting was attended by Kashmir Affairs Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Finance Advisor Shaukat Fayaz Tarin, Prime Minister of AJK Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, AJK Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan and relevant senior officers. The participants of the meeting were briefed on the proposed projects and their cost estimates under the Kashmir Development Package, as well as other ongoing uplift works there and administrative reforms introduced by the AJK government. The package comprises the construction of highways, bridges and tunnels and projects of urban management. It was told that the improvement of infrastructure would lead to the promotion of tourism besides facilitating the traffic movement. The meeting was told that during the initial months, the government had not only carried out a major operation against encroachments but also disposed of around 1200 tons of waste. Besides energy projects, the package also features tourism projects to link the tourist areas through roads. Moreover, land has been identified for the development of skiing resort. The development package also marked the allocation of huge funds for health and educational facilities besides providing basic facilities to schools and colleges. Mega projects for industrial development as well as environmental protection also part of the package, it was told. The participants were also told that the scope of federal government projects including social security, health card, youth program, incentives for farmers and low-cost houses would also be extended to AJK. Member of the National Assembly Amjad Khan Niazi Friday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan here. During the meeting, they discussed the overall situation in the country and ongoing development projects in Mianwali. They also deliberated over the employment opportunities created by the development projects in the city.