Pakistan PM directs expansion of agricultural exports and housing support

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed officials to prioritize the expansion of agricultural exports and the provision of affordable housing for low- and middle-income citizens. During high-level meetings in Islamabad, the Prime Minister emphasized that the agricultural sector is vital to Pakistan’s economic stability. He instructed commercial officers at overseas missions to actively seek new global markets for Pakistani products, such as rice, fish, halal meat, potatoes, sesame, tobacco, mangoes, and corn. To boost value, he called for increased value addition within the agricultural supply chain.

Regarding social welfare and finance, the Prime Minister reviewed the ‘Access to Finance Plan 2026-28’. He stated that providing affordable housing, easy loans for farmers, and financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are government priorities. He urged banks to play a more effective role in lending to these sectors, promising government encouragement for participating financial institutions.

Under the ‘Prime Minister Apna Ghar Program’, 147,504 applications have been received, with 53,127 approved. The total value of approved applications stands at 313.42 billion rupees, with 45.43 billion rupees already disbursed to 8,739 applicants. A pilot project is being launched in Islamabad to identify suitable plots for mortgage-based housing. Additionally, the agricultural loan target under the current finance plan is set at 200 billion rupees by June 2028.