Aneel says advising Imran for free to build 5 million houses

LONDON: Millionaire British Pakistani entrepreneur Aneel Musarrat has said that he is not taking any formal position in his friend Imran Khan’s cabinet but will be providing advice on Imran Khan’s plan to build 5 million homes.

Since Imran Khan took oath as Prime Minister of Pakistan, there have been a lot of speculations about the role of Aneel Musarrat whose pictures with Imran Khan and a few other top Pakistani officials went viral. The latest speculation involves around images in which the prime minister is chairing a meeting in which British nationals Aneel Musarrat and Sahibzada Jahangir can be seen sitting in the official media – with some in media questioning about their role and position in the new government.

Aneel Musarrat was seen again in a meeting on Monday where the prime minister chaired meeting to review progress on the formulation of a road-map for construction of five million houses across the country.

Sahibzada Jahangir, elder brother of Fauzia Kasuri, is amongst Imran Khan’s oldest friends, one of the PTI founders and Khan’s adviser on overseas Pakistanis while Aneel Musarrat has known Imran Khan since 2004 onwards.

Speaking to this correspondent for the first time about his role, Aneel Musarrat confirmed that he is not taking any formal position with the government of Pakistan and has no plans of doing business there.

During the meeting, said Aneel Musarrat, it was decided that Imran Khan will take ownership of the initiative in order to ensure smooth implementation and remove any administrative bottlenecks.

Aneel Musarrat said that he will not be doing business in Pakistan to avoid conflict of interest. “Alhamdullilah, I am doing profitable businesses in the United Kingdom and Europe and the profit return is good. I am interested in Pakistan only because it’s country of my origin and I want to give something back, not get anything. I will not do any business and I will not get any money for advising Imran Khan’s task force on housing.

However, the millionaire businessman confirmed that he will be giving advice to Imran Khan’s team dedicated to provide five million houses equipped with all basic facilities.

Aneel Musarrat said that Pakistan faces serious housing crisis and tens of millions of people don’t have decent homes to live in. He said that it’s unfortunate that for a country of millions of people, only a few influential have almost occupied the whole housing sector.

“The housing has to be for the poor people who have no chance otherwise of moving up the property ladder. They need support. My aim is to bring 10,000 new property developers into the market and take control away from a few people who decide everything about the housing to benefit themselves,” said the businessman.

“This year I plan to deliver 9,000 homes in the UK and the sale value of these houses will be over £2 billion. I am making enough money here. I am using my company’s housing development experts to advise Pakistani government.

The objective is to alleviate poverty and help Pakistan recover economically. It’s an inward economy and small capital is needed to buy homes. At least 10,000 new developers will enter the market to build five million homes,” said Aneel Musarrat.

He said that he has discussed his housing plans with Imran Khan and he liked the idea so much that he wanted him to become part of the task force. Aneel Musarrat explained that it’s the idea of 5 million new jobs that Imran Khan liked.

Sharing his plan, Aneel Musarrat said that for this plan to go ahead and for re-booting of the housing sector radical changes are needed.

He explained: “I have proposed that if our plan is implemented, 6 million jobs will be created for 5 million homes. Mortgages will be available to the customers which will enable lower middle class and middle class to afford new homes on easy payments through one window operation. Buyers will be able to get mortgage like they do in Europe. Banks will give loans but I have told Imran Khan that the banking laws will have to change for this purpose and he agrees to the idea. This will bring radical improvements in the economy.”

Aneel added that he only wants to advise in light of his business expertise “to benefit Pakistan”.

He said he has acquired land in Lahore and Mianwali and will be building hospitals for free mother and child treatment. “I will be funding these hospitals through my charitable foundation based in the UK.”

Aneel Musarrat has been helping Imran Khan and his sister Aleema Khan to raise funds for Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital (SKCH) and Namal College for about 12 years now through fundraising events in Manchester.

He’s considered quite close to Imran Khan, who has attended weddings of his daughter and family members in Manchester in London. Leading Bollywood actors and Indian businessmen have also attended these weddings as Aneel is believed to have good ties with the leading lights of Indian film industry.

Aneel Musarrat, aged 48, made his name in UK’s property market after starting off as a small time property trader but steadily grew up and started constructing and renting properties at commercial level.

His current worth is around £300 million and he was once listed as one of the richest persons in the UK. His company directly employs more than 350 people in various UK sites.