ISLAMABAD, Oct 07 (ABC): The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and the Ministry of Housing and Works will jointly organize the first International Housing Expo 2022 (IHE-2022) here in December this year. ICCI President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari and Secretary Ministry of Housing and Works Iftikhar Ali Shallwani signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in that regard, during a ceremony held at the ministry, according to a press release. Iftikhar said that all the major international and national developers, builders and real estate enterprises would be invited to display their projects in the expo.
He said that the expo would help attract local and foreign investment to the country and revive the process of economic development in the urban areas. The government, he said, placed affordability, sustainability and inclusiveness of the housing sector at the core of the urbanization process to ensure access to adequate housing for all. The main objective of the expo was promotion of urban regeneration schemes, management of rapid urbanization and development of national urban infrastructure to support urban development and promote affordable green energy housing for all, he added.
He hoped that the collaboration between the ministry and the ICCI for the forthcoming IHE-2022 would be helpful in making the expo a landmark event. Ahsan said that the ICCI intended to construct Pakistan’s tallest building in Islamabad, adding the plan would be announced during the expo.
He said that the tallest tower would attract investors to Pakistan and make Islamabad a hub of financial and investment activities as happened in the UAE after the construction of Burj Khalifa. Many investors were interested in constructing high rise buildings in Islamabad and urged that the CDA should amend its building byelaws to encourage vertical constructions, which offered the best solution to tackling the affordable housing challenge in the federal capital and across the country. He assured that the ICCI would extend full support to the ministry in successfully organizing the IHE-2022. ICCI Senior VP Faad Waheed, VP Azhar ul Islam Zafar, Khalid Iqbal Malik were present on the occasion.