Islamabad: Minister for Housing and Works Riaz Hussain Pirzada has reaffirmed the government's strong commitment to address the challenges in the housing sector through comprehensive policy reforms and targeted housing initiatives. He expressed the determination while meeting Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, UN-Habitat, Ms. Kazuko Ishigaki, who called on him in Islamabad today.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Federal Minister warmly welcomed Ms. Ishigaki and expressed appreciation for UN-Habitat's consistent support to Pakistan in the fields of housing and sustainable urban development. Riaz Hussain Pirzada particularly acknowledged UN-Habitat's valuable technical inputs in the formulation of the National Housing Policy, 2025, and its continued support during post-flood recovery efforts, especially in strengthening urban, land, and housing policies and infrastructure. He further emphasized that while policy formulation is important, effective implementation remains the key priority for achieving tangible results.
In her remarks, Ms. Kazuko Ishigaki stressed the importance of strengthened strategic planning, effective zoning, and regulatory reforms to enable sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient urban development. She noted that the implementation of the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026-2029 is a top priority, with housing identified as a critical foundation for community and national development. Ms. Kazuko reiterated UN-Habitat's commitment to providing technical and policy support, including resource mobilization, to advance climate-resilient and affordable housing initiatives in Pakistan.
The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, informed the Regional Director that the National Housing Policy is at its final stage of approval. He stated that the government intends to place strong emphasis on green building standards and incentive-based frameworks to accelerate growth in the housing and urban development sectors. Ms. Ishigaki expressed UN-Habitat's readiness to extend full support for green building initiatives, noting the organization's decade-long experience in promoting sustainable construction practices to mitigate the environmental impacts of conventional building methods. She reaffirmed UN-Habitat's commitment to continued collaboration with Pakistan to advance integrated housing solutions that are resilient, affordable, and adequately serviced.