ISLAMABAD    -   National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has given one month extension to the deadline for those citizens who are aspiring to register themselves for the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP) — a flagship project of PTI government to provide affordable housing to the citizens.

A spokesperson of NADRA Tuesday said that now applicants would submit their applications till November 15, 2019.

“Uptill now, NADRA has received more than 1.4 million applications for the (NPHP),” the spokesperson said adding that the process of the registration from the pogramme was under way successfully. He said that NADAR was receiving an overwhelming response from all over the country and an extension has been made due to this response and in order to facilitate the citizens.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had inaugurated the Naya Pakistan Housing Project on July 15 of this year to provide affordable housing facilities to the citizens. NADRA was given task to register the applicants and the authority is undertaking this task through the online facility of its e-Sahulat Franchise Network.

In the second phase of registration for the NPHP, Lahore district has received maximum number of application as 150,255 people have applied there. Similarly, 44,786 people have applied in Bhawalpur district. In different districts of Karachi, 89,062 applicants have registered themselves with NADRA and 34,484 people have registered themselves in Peshawar.

The NADRA spokesperson said that online registration facility has been provided at authority’s DHA Mega Centre, Liaquat Abad Centre and North Nazim Abad Mega Centre for citizens of Karachi. He appealed to the aspirant citizens to get themselves registered at earliest. Similarly, overseas Pakistanis can apply through online without visiting any centre.

Till the end of last month, as many as 1.1 million citizens had got themselves registered with the project country wide.

Prime Minister Imran Khan last year after coming into power had announced to build five million houses throughout the country to provide lower middle class people with affordable and cheap housing. For this purpose, PM approved the formation of the ‘Naya Pakistan Housing Authority’ to provide one-window operations to facilitate the construction industry. And the government also promulgated an ordinance to make easier financing of houses. The premier at that time describing the purpose of the project had said that the poor, and salaried class don’t have any resources to build houses for themselves and their families.