Commander Builders’ Chairperson (retd) commander Muhammad Zakir sat with Aaj News on Monday during the Sehri transmission of Baran e Rehmat to talk about building houses and investing your money in the right housing schemes, especially if they are under construction.

Builder’s reputation

Stressing the need for awareness about housing projects, the Commander Builders chairperson advised people to check the reputation of the builder before buying a plot.

Previous projects

Zakir, who is a former naval officer, cited his own experience where he invested in a plot once or twice but could not get any return. He further called for checking or reviewing the previous projects undertaken by the builders to ensure you are investing your money in the right place.

ABAD feedback

Moreover, the Commander Builders chairperson advised the public to take feedback form the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) before opting for any project. “ABAD is a national level representative organisation of builders and developers, formed in the year 1972 with the aim and objective of unifying and streamlining the construction activities of the private sector,” its website reads.

Checking NOCs – including Development Authority, Building Control Authority

According to government-approved rules, all the builders are bound to display no-objection certificates (NOC) at their booking offices. Zakir advised people to avoid making deals at offices that do not display their NOCs.

Zakir added that people face problematic situations when they work with new builders, as they often do not check how feasible a project is, owing to a lack of experience and vision.

Zakir’s ‘mission’

Zakir also spoke about his “mission” to train young people to become builders, under the Zindagi Badal Do programme.

“Around 29 students – both male and female – attended our first course. We provide a one-month training course and offer contracts for making houses,” the Commander Builders chairperson said.

“The youth will make one million houses and they have already started in the city. I have offered the students guarantees that I will make them [the youth] millionaires,” he said, adding that they started the initiative by making four houses in the first year and increased the number to 32 after the fourth and fifth years.

Elaborating on the plan, Zakir said the average profit on a single house they build is Rs150,000, out of which he offers students Rs30,000 per month from the profit.

“The remaining amount will be deposited with me and it will become more than 10 million after five years,” he said. He added that the biggest problem he faced was having no capital to begin the business with and it was only after he collected a million that his life became easier. “I decided not only to teach the students how to conduct business but also decided to help them earn money, which would make their coming lives easier.”

Criteria for hiring students

According to Zakir, students can only enroll in the programme if they are affiliated with the Commander City, can pass an intelligence test, and at least have a matriculation level education.