Capital Smart City : Expo ends on high note

Islamabad : The two-day Capital Smart City Expo ended at the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre here on Sunday with the organisers feeling happy about the overwhelming response to their initiative.

The Capital Smart City Islamabad, which held the event with the Jang Media Group being its exclusive media partner, insisted that the expo catered for both real estate developers and the people on the lookout for housing and investment opportunities.

According to CSC general manager (sales and marketing) Mujeeb Ahmad Khan, his housing project, an initiative of the Future Developments Holdings Private Limited, started off the New Year on a powerful note with the real estate expo, which got a tremendous response from both buyers and investors.

He said the event had over 80 stalls put up by the leading companies offering housing solutions in terms of construction, tools and smart products, as well as realtors, architects and allied industries.

“Meant to promote the idea of smart home construction, the expo provided the national and international housing companies and investors with a good opportunity to expand clientele,” he said.

About his project being executed near the New Islamabad International Airport, Mujeeb Ahmad said the CSC would provide convenient and quality modern living with efficient resource management and that it would be vibrant hub of commercial and financial activities due to its location on the eastern route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He also said the natural forests, hills and rivers surrounding the project site offered scenic views, vistas and lush green corridors.

The stallholders said they had got a good response from visitors, who not only showed a keen interest in their housing projects but also availed themselves of special discounts on plots, houses, and apartments.

Promising high-quality yet affordable housing to the people, they asked the government to come up with business-friendly rules and policies for the real estate sector to meet the country’s housing needs.

Real estate consultant Mudassar Iqbal hailed the holding of the property expo and said such events helped the housing sector grow.

He said though the real estate didn’t have good business these days, he expected things would improve in near future.

Shafqat Hussain of the Homekey Enterprises said the expo got a tremendous response from both buyers and investors and it would promote the relatively new concept of smart cities in the country.

He said red tape and tax issues were a major hurdle to the growth of the real estate sector, so the government should take corrective measures without delay.

Junaid Rehman of Royal Business Solution said the CSC was adopting new trends of modern living to promote smart and efficient lifestyle.

“The CSC is the finest smart city offering unique designated architecture, which recognizes the different needs of users,” he said.

The people from different walks of life, mostly salaried ones interested in developing own houses, showed up in large numbers.

They said they consulted stallholders on property buying and building.

The visitors said the expo brought the country’s leading builders and developers under one roof providing them with the best housing and investment options, especially in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Islamabad Local Government Commission member Tayyaba Ibrahim, Jamaat-i-Islami vice-president Mian Muhammad Aslam, Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan and Kashmir Chairman Muhammad Abdullah Gul, and Islamabad Estate Agents Association president Sardar Tahir Mehmood and vice-president Rana Akram also showed up and went to different stalls. They appreciated the initiative saying it will contribute to the development of housing sector.

The organisers presented shields to them.

There followed the giving away of a car and motorcycles to the winners of a lucky draw and a live performance by popular singer Aima Baig.