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Punjab Government Pushes Vertical Urban Expansion
CategoriesNews Construction Developments Property Real Estate Urban Developments & Planning

Punjab Government Pushes Vertical Urban Expansion to Meet Housing Demand at Lahore Real Estate Conference

LAHORE: Punjab’s Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering, Bilal Yaseen, has identified vertical construction as a critical pillar of Pakistan’s urban future, arguing that high-rise development is now indispensable given the country’s expanding population and diminishing land resources.

Speaking at a live podcast session held as part of Pakistan’s first Real Estate CEOs Conference featuring a sitting provincial housing minister, Yaseen said that rising urbanisation pressures leave little alternative to building upward.

He noted that carefully planned high-rise projects allow cities to expand sustainably while making the most of existing infrastructure, and reaffirmed that government policy would prioritise developments meeting modern construction benchmarks to support organised urban growth.

He further underlined the importance of ongoing coordination between government bodies and private developers, suggesting that collaborative policy-making is essential to build investor trust and sustain momentum in the real estate sector.

The conference, organised by Alif Holdings, drew together policymakers, developers, investors and media figures to deliberate on housing policy, urban planning reforms, the investment climate and prospects for public-private partnership.

The discussion was moderated by veteran journalist Mansoor Ali Khan, with television anchors Waseem Badami and Shahzeb Iqbal in attendance alongside senior figures from the real estate industry.

Alif Holdings CEO Ahmed Saljouk described the real estate sector as a significant contributor to Pakistan’s economy, stressing that its long-term prospects hinge on sustained dialogue between industry and government.

He said the conference was designed to give stakeholders a shared platform to raise concerns and shape workable solutions, adding that his company intends to continue hosting similar forums.

Participants at the event echoed calls for more consistent policy frameworks, greater regulatory transparency, and deeper public-private cooperation measures, which they said would be key to strengthening investor confidence and supporting sustainable urban expansion across Pakistan.

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CategoriesNews Property Real Estate Real Estate Investment Urban Developments & Planning

Apna Ghar Scheme Delivers Rs204bn in Approved Housing Finance

ISLAMABAD: Banks have approved housing finance worth Rs204 billion under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme, with Rs27 billion already disbursed to beneficiaries, a high-level review meeting was informed on Tuesday.

Chairing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the scheme was designed to enable low- and middle-income households to own homes, describing affordable housing as one of the government’s foremost priorities.

Officials briefed the meeting that the Ministry of Housing and Works, together with the State Bank of Pakistan, is conducting weekly reviews to track progress and address bottlenecks in implementation.

The prime minister directed authorities to accelerate work on the scheme and called on public and private sector banks to expand financing support, aiming to widen access to housing loans for eligible families.

He further instructed relevant departments to devise a comprehensive strategy for both vertical and horizontal housing developments under the initiative, emphasising the need for practical and sustainable solutions to meet the demands of a growing population.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to providing shelter for disadvantaged and middle-income citizens, the prime minister stressed that close coordination among all stakeholders remains essential for the scheme’s timely and successful execution.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Housing and Works Riaz Pirzada, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Kayani, and senior government officials.

The Apna Ghar Scheme aims to finance 150,000 homes by June 2027, as part of the government’s broader affordable housing agenda.

For more real estate news and special reports, visit Chakor.

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CategoriesNews Property Property Laws Property Taxes

Rawalpindi Resumes Property Registrations After Month-Long Suspension, Taxes Revised

RAWALPINDI: Property registration activities for residential and commercial properties have resumed across Rawalpindi Division following a month-long suspension, officials confirmed.

The newly appointed deputy commissioner has retained the previous fiscal year’s property valuation rates for 2026-27, keeping official property values unchanged. Registrations in Rawalpindi city, cantonment, and surrounding areas are now processed through biometric verification alongside the existing online system.

While valuation rates remain steady, several taxes and fees have been increased. Advance tax now stands at 10.5 percent for non-filers and 1.25 percent for filers, while capital gains tax has risen to 11.5 percent for non-filers and 2.75 percent for filers.

Stamp duty remains at one percent of property value, alongside a one percent corporation tax and three percent cantonment board tax. Additional charges include a Rs3,800 Punjab Land Revenue Authority services tax, Rs1,000 registration fee, and Rs1,100 mutation fee, among others.

Officials estimate the suspension resulted in an approximate Rs1.5 billion revenue loss for the government. Biometric verification of both buyer and seller has been made mandatory, and the upgraded online registration system became fully operational on Monday, July 27.

Industry representatives noted that while stable valuation rates benefit buyers, the increased taxes and processing charges are expected to raise overall registration costs by Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 for residential properties and Rs50,000 to Rs125,000 for commercial properties.

Separately, the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has yet to finalize property tax bills for 2026-27, with dispatch to taxpayers now expected after August 14. District authorities have also ordered the transfer of registry staff at multiple offices following corruption-related complaints.

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Delays in University Road Repairs
CategoriesNews Climate Change Construction Developments Urban Flooding Weather

Delays in University Road Repairs Raise Monsoon Flooding Concerns

KARACHI: Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town Chairman Dr Fawad Ahmed has issued a stark warning that a key stretch of Karachi’s University Road could become a serious hazard if monsoon rains arrive before ongoing infrastructure work is completed. Speaking at a press conference held at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town Municipal Corporation council hall, Dr Ahmed described the situation as one that could quickly spiral into a full-blown emergency for commuters.

His remarks focused specifically on the segment of road between Hassan Square and Nipa, an area currently undergoing excavation for the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

According to Dr Ahmed, the digging has left the roadway riddled with pits and uneven surfaces, posing a significant risk to motorists and pedestrians alike, particularly once heavy rainfall sets in.

The town chairman also used the platform to voice strong opposition to a proposed flyover near Disco Bakery. He argued that the project was both unnecessary and impractical, cautioning that it could intensify traffic congestion rather than relieve it.

He pointed out that a substantial portion of University Road traffic has already been redirected to Shabbir Usmani Road, undermining the rationale for the flyover.

Compounding the issue, Dr Ahmed noted that the K-IV water supply augmentation line is also slated to pass through Shabbir Usmani Road, a factor that would further complicate flyover construction in that corridor.

He said these concerns have already been formally communicated to Karachi’s mayor, and he called on the provincial government to abandon the flyover plan altogether in favour of removing encroachments to improve traffic flow.

Separately, Dr Ahmed presented the town’s performance report for the outgoing period and announced a budget of Rs. 4.7795 billion for the 2026–27 fiscal year, with 75 percent of the allocation directed toward development projects across Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town.

For more real estate news and special reports, visit Chakor.

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GIS-Based Property Tax Survey
CategoriesNews Economy Property Property Taxes Tax

Punjab Rolls Out GIS-Based Property Tax Survey After 12 Years

LAHORE: The Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has initiated the province’s first comprehensive property tax survey in over a decade, marking a significant step toward closing gaps in tax collection and curbing widespread evasion.

Department officials confirmed that the initiative will rely on a modern Geographic Information System (GIS)-based digital mapping platform, designed to identify properties that currently fall outside the tax net or are being assessed below their actual value.

The survey draws on records supplied by the Punjab Land Records Authority, integrating land data with tax rolls to create a more accurate picture of the province’s real estate landscape.

As a pilot, the department has begun work in Lahore’s Zone 13, an area where nearly 80,000 property units are already registered with taxpayers. Officials anticipate the exercise will bring an additional 20,000 units in that zone alone into the formal tax system, as the digital mapping process uncovers unassessed and underassessed properties.

The scale of the challenge is considerable. Lahore currently has more than 900,000 property units paying tax, while over 2.5 million units are registered as taxpayers across Punjab as a whole. The Excise Department’s broader records list more than 4.5 million taxable and non-taxable property units throughout the province, underscoring the potential for expanded revenue collection.

Officials said the GIS-based survey will be extended across Punjab in phases, contingent on the allocation of necessary funding. The initiative is expected to play a central role in helping the department meet its property tax collection target of Rs. 42 billion for the current fiscal year.

The move follows recent enforcement efforts in the province, including a crackdown that saw dozens of properties sealed in Lahore, reflecting a broader push by authorities to strengthen tax compliance and transparency in the real estate sector.

For more real estate news and special reports, visit Chakor.

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CategoriesNews Property Laws Real Estate Urban Developments & Planning

Punjab Makes Digital Property Certificates Mandatory for Housing Societies by August 31

LAHORE: The Punjab government has directed all private housing societies across the province to transfer their complete property transaction records to the Housing Society Management System (HSMS) as part of a broader push to strengthen ownership documentation and curb real estate fraud.

Under the new compliance framework, the government has begun issuing Property Certificates for property buying and selling transactions. These certificates will serve as legal proof of ownership across both public and private housing schemes in Lahore, replacing the fragmented documentation practices that have long characterized the sector.

Housing society owners and management have been given until August 31, 2026, to upload their complete purchase and sale records to the HSMS platform. Officials said the initiative is designed to improve transparency in property transactions and secure ownership records against manipulation.

The Property Certificate system will be integrated with NADRA records, digital mapping systems, and the e-Registry platform, an interlinkage authorities say will strengthen ownership verification and significantly reduce the risk of fraudulent transactions.

Housing societies that fail to meet the August deadline face legal consequences under the LDA Act 1975. Enforcement measures under consideration include the sealing of non-compliant societies’ offices and the initiation of legal proceedings against their management.

Officials noted that several private housing schemes in Lahore have already completed the record transfer to HSMS ahead of the deadline, signaling early compliance from parts of the sector even as the broader rollout continues.

The directive follows a series of recent enforcement actions by the Lahore Development Authority against unregistered and non-compliant housing schemes, reflecting a wider provincial effort to formalize property records and tighten oversight of the real estate sector ahead of the new fiscal year’s regulatory cycle.

For more real estate news and special reports, visit Chakor.

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CategoriesNews Construction Developments Real Estate Urban Developments & Planning

KP Approves Rs69bn Dir Motorway Spanning 29km

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Committee has approved the construction of the 29-kilometre Dir Motorway, connecting Chakdara Interchange to Baroon in Lower Dir District, at an estimated cost of Rs69 billion.

The approval was granted during a committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, held on Saturday. Following the decision, the chief minister directed relevant authorities to immediately initiate land acquisition proceedings for the project.

He further instructed concerned departments to establish clear implementation timelines to ensure the motorway is completed within the stipulated period, enabling the public to benefit from the infrastructure at the earliest opportunity. Authorities were also directed to propose amendments to the existing PPP framework aimed at facilitating faster and more efficient execution of development projects.

The chief minister termed the motorway a significant contribution by the provincial government to the people of Malakand Division, stating that it would substantially reduce travel time, lower fuel consumption and transportation costs, and generate direct economic benefits for residents. He added that the project would play a pivotal role in promoting tourism and strengthening the regional economy, noting that improved connectivity to remote tourist destinations would create new employment opportunities.

The same meeting also reviewed progress on the Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and Swat Motorway Phase-II projects, with participants discussing measures to ensure their timely completion.

The session was attended by cabinet members Aftab Alam Afridi, Shakeel Khan, Shafi Jan and Muzammil Aslam, along with the chief secretary, additional chief secretary (planning and development), principal secretary to the chief minister, and administrative secretaries of the relevant departments.

For more real estate news and special reports, visit Chakor.

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Minors' Property Rights
CategoriesNews Economy Property Property Laws

FCC Lays Down Guidelines to Protect Minors’ Property Rights

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has issued a comprehensive set of guiding principles directing civil and revenue courts nationwide to exercise greater diligence in cases involving the property and inheritance rights of minors, marking a significant step toward strengthening legal protections for vulnerable parties in litigation.

In a detailed judgement authored by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, a three-member bench also comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Syed Arshad Hussain Shah ruled that courts must identify at the very outset of proceedings whether any litigant is a minor, and thereafter strictly adhere to Order XXXII of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, which governs suits involving minors.

The ruling arose from a long-running property dispute in Bahawalnagar, where a widow, Bushra Bibi, had contested a compromise decree on the grounds that minors involved in the settlement had not been afforded adequate legal safeguards. 

While a revisional court had initially sided with her in 2017, the Lahore High Court’s Bahawalpur Bench reversed that decision in December 2024. The FCC has now set aside the High Court’s order and reinstated the revisional court’s findings, once again affirming the rights of the minor children and a parda nasheen woman involved in the case.

Among the newly issued guidelines, the court held that guardians appointed for minors must have no conflicts of interest, and that any compromise affecting a minor’s property must be independently verified by the court as lawful and in the child’s best interests. 

Courts have also been instructed to apply heightened scrutiny in cases involving illiterate or otherwise vulnerable parties, and to avoid hasty rulings that could compromise the welfare of minors.

The court remarked that a judicial decree cannot validate an agreement inherently flawed under law, underscoring its intent to reinforce accountability across Pakistan’s judicial system.

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Land Records Go Digital
CategoriesNews Property Property Laws Property Taxes Urban Developments & Planning

Land Records Go Digital as KP Targets Encroachment Crackdown

PESHAWAR: The KPK government has unveiled a major overhaul of its revenue administration, including plans to digitise land records and introduce a real-time system to detect encroachments on state land.

The announcement came from Provincial Revenue Minister Tariq Mahmood Aryani, who chaired the first policy meeting of the Revenue Department on Thursday to outline a modernisation agenda to improve transparency and public service delivery. 

The session was attended by Members of the National Assembly Muhammad Atif Khan and Arbab Sher, revenue expert Daud Khan, Senior Member Board of Revenue Zahir Shah Khan, and other senior officials.

Addressing participants, the minister stressed that the Revenue Department needed to keep pace with global technological trends, arguing that expanded use of digital systems would boost efficiency and make government services more accessible to the public. 

He confirmed that the land mutation process, known locally as Intiqal, would be fully digitised and that records of government land would be integrated into a new monitoring platform capable of flagging encroachments as they occur.

Under the proposed framework, designated officers would be automatically notified whenever state land is illegally occupied, while the system would also track any delays in official response to strengthen accountability across the department.

Aryani also announced the creation of a dedicated grievance redressal cell to handle public complaints more efficiently, as well as plans to digitise inquiries and disciplinary proceedings involving revenue officials.

Beyond the technology-driven reforms, the minister instructed officials to prioritise resolving long-pending Khana Kasht disputes and directed the revenue administration to clear outstanding land cases within defined timeframes.

Concluding the meeting, Aryani ordered immediate implementation of the announced measures and asked relevant departments to present a detailed progress report at the next review session.

For more real estate news and special reports, visit Chakor.

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Green Property Certificate
CategoriesNews Property Property Laws

Green Property Certificate No Longer Mandatory in Punjab

LAHORE: The Punjab government has rolled back its recently introduced requirement that property buyers and sellers obtain a Green Property Certificate (GPC) before completing land transactions, restoring the traditional Fard, or Record of Rights, as a valid transactional document across most of the province.

The reversal was formalised through a notification issued by the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA), invoking its powers under the Punjab Land Records Authority Act, 2017. The order declares the “Naqal Arazi Record” a legally recognised document for property transactions, effectively ending the compulsory GPC regime introduced just weeks earlier.

The Green Property Certificate became mandatory on July 1, 2026, for all sales, purchases, mortgages, gifts, and other transfers of immovable property in Punjab. It was billed as a flagship reform meant to digitise and modernise the province’s land administration system, gradually replacing the long-standing Fard-e-Bai. 

To implement it, the PLRA deployed teams of surveyors, five per tehsil, and fifty across Lahore’s ten tehsils, tasked with physically verifying ownership and location before certificates could be issued, following a mandatory 15-day public objection period.

Officials say the rollback does not eliminate the GPC system entirely. Instead, its scope has been narrowed: the certificate will remain mandatory only in areas where land records have already been digitised, while manual Fard issuance resumes in regions where digitisation is not yet complete.

The abrupt policy shift, coming barely ten days after the certificate’s mandatory rollout, has raised questions about the pace and readiness of Punjab’s digital land-record transition. Authorities have not indicated whether the GPC will eventually be reinstated province-wide once digitisation is completed in remaining districts.

For more real estate news and special reports, visit Chakor.

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