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Stay informed with the latest developments in real estate, business, and investment trends across Pakistan and beyond. Chakor News delivers timely updates, expert insights, and market analysis to help you make informed decisions. Whether it’s project launches, economic shifts, or updates on regulatory changes, our news coverage keeps you ahead of the curve. Explore reliable stories, impactful headlines, and trusted reporting—only on Chakor News.

CategoriesNews Climate Change Dams Deforestation Environment Urban Flooding Weather

CM Punjab Orders Province-Wide Monsoon Emergency Alert, Directs WASA, Rescue 1122 and PDMA on Standby

LAHORE: CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz has placed all provincial line departments on high alert following the onset of the monsoon season, directing commissioners, deputy commissioners and field officers across the province to maintain round-the-clock preparedness and ensure rapid emergency response.

The Chief Minister emphasised that all concerned officers and staff must remain vigilant, stating there would be no tolerance for negligence or irresponsibility during the monsoon period.

Directives were issued to immediately drain rainwater, with continuous monitoring ordered for Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) operations. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Control Room and District Emergency Operation Centres have been instructed to remain fully alert across Punjab.

Rescue 1122 and WASA have been directed to keep personnel and machinery on standby, with priority given to swift-water drainage from low-lying areas and identified choke points. Continuous monitoring of stormwater drains and nullahs was also ordered to prevent water stagnation in urban areas.

The Irrigation Department has been instructed to keep teams on high alert to monitor canal water flow, while authorities were directed to ensure all manholes across urban and rural areas remain properly covered.

Additional safety arrangements were ordered at construction sites, alongside special monitoring of dilapidated and structurally vulnerable buildings. The Safe City Authority and Chief Traffic Officer teams have been directed to ensure smooth traffic flow on highways and main roads during periods of rainfall.

Field teams have been instructed to remain fully prepared to support public guidance, traffic management, and the protection of lives and property throughout the monsoon season.

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Lahore HC Protects Overseas Pakistanis
CategoriesNews Property Property Laws Real Estate

Lahore HC Protects Overseas Pakistanis from Prolonged Litigation Under 2024 Act

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has ruled that final judicial orders cannot be nullified through subsequently obtained ex parte decrees, reinforcing statutory safeguards for overseas Pakistanis in property disputes.

Justice Jawad Hassan, presiding over the matter Javed Masih v. Amar Javed (Writ Petition No. 2345 of 2026, decided 24-06-2026), held that a litigant cannot obstruct the execution of orders that have already attained finality by later securing an ex parte decree through collateral proceedings, particularly when that decree’s operation remains suspended.

The Court further observed that repeated attempts to frustrate final orders constitute an abuse of the process of law and do not warrant interference under constitutional jurisdiction.

The dispute originated from an ejectment petition filed by the petitioner against Respondent 2, based on an alleged sale deed. This was initially accepted by the Special Judge, Rent Court, but was subsequently set aside after Respondent 1 claimed lawful ownership through a registered sale deed and challenged it. 

The Special Court then directed the petitioner to hand over possession, an order the petitioner unsuccessfully contested before later obtaining an ex parte decree from the Civil Court, Rawalpindi, in an attempt to resist enforcement.

In its judgment, the Court examined the framework of the Overseas Pakistanis Property Act, 2024, noting that Sections 9 to 12 establish a comprehensive mechanism for the expeditious adjudication and enforcement of property rights of overseas Pakistanis, who often face significant hardship in litigating from abroad. The Court emphasised that their contribution to the national economy through remittances underscores the importance of timely justice in such matters.

Finding no illegality or jurisdictional defect in the Special Court’s order, the High Court declined to interfere and upheld the dismissal of the petitioner’s objections, effectively closing off further attempts to delay execution of the possession order.

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Divorced Women 50% Property Share
CategoriesNews Economy Property Property Laws

Lawmakers Split Over Bill Granting Divorced Women 50% Property Share

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs held a heated debate this week over a proposed law that would entitle divorced women to a 50 percent share in their former husband’s property, ultimately deciding to seek guidance from the Council of Islamic Ideology before proceeding further. The session, chaired by Senator Atta-ur-Rehman, took place at Parliament House.

The private member’s bill, introduced by Senator Syed Ali Zafar, seeks to provide financial protection to women, particularly those who have spent decades in marriage supporting their households without independent income.

Zafar argued that many divorced women, especially after unions lasting 40 years or more, are left without adequate housing or financial security despite years of unpaid domestic labour.

His proposal would allow a clause to be inserted into marriage contracts granting the wife a 50 percent property share upon divorce, citing comparable legal frameworks in Iran, Syria, Libya, Jordan, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and India.

The bill drew mixed reactions. Senator Bushra Anjum Butt argued that husbands’ financial interests should also be safeguarded in cases where wives are the stronger earners. Senator Hafiz Abdul Karim rejected the bill as currently framed, insisting that legislation should be grounded in Islamic principles rather than Western models, maintaining that Islam already affords women adequate protections.

However, Senator Sarmad Ali pushed back, cautioning against assuming Turkish or Iranian laws are inherently un-Islamic, while Senator Dinesh Kumar pointed out that similar protections already exist under Hindu personal law in Pakistan.

Committee chairman Atta-ur-Rehman reiterated that no legislation could contradict the Quran and Sunnah, a position echoed by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, who supported referring the matter to the Council of Islamic Ideology. The committee will either forward the bill for religious review or invite Council representatives to its next session before reaching a final decision.

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Asset Management Authority
CategoriesNews Developments Property Urban Developments & Planning

CM Punjab Sets Up Asset Management Authority to Curb Encroachment, Boost Revenue

LAHORE: CM Punjab has approved the establishment of AMAP, a newly proposed institution tasked with centralising the identification, management, and utilisation of the province’s assets. The decision was announced following a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister on Monday.

According to officials familiar with the plan, the Asset Management Authority of Punjab (AMAP) will serve as the province’s primary regulatory body for government-owned land and public property, consolidating functions that have historically been scattered across multiple departments.

Its mandate will include overseeing the transfer, disposal, valuation, and marketing of provincial assets, with a particular focus on properties identified as having strong investment or privatisation potential.

To generate revenue, the authority is expected to employ a range of financial mechanisms, including leasing arrangements, rental agreements, public-private partnerships, and joint ventures. Officials said the approach is designed to maximise returns on underutilised government property while attracting private investment into asset development.

During the meeting, the chief minister directed relevant departments to accelerate revenue generation through the sale, lease, and collateral-based financing of provincial assets. She noted that the absence of a single, dedicated institution to regulate Punjab’s assets had left substantial public land vulnerable to illegal encroachment and mismanagement, underscoring the need for a more coordinated regulatory framework.

In terms of structure, AMAP will operate under a governing board headed by the provincial chief secretary, while daily operations will be managed by an officer of BPS-20 rank.

The authority will also induct private-sector professionals on a merit basis, reflecting an effort to bring specialised commercial expertise into asset management decisions.

Officials clarified that all major decisions regarding the transfer, valuation, or long-term management of assets will require formal approval from the provincial cabinet, adding an additional layer of oversight.

The move is seen as part of a broader push by the current Punjab administration to reform governance structures and improve fiscal discipline across state institutions.

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CategoriesNews Economy Real Estate Investment

AI to Replace Manual Tax Notices as Pakistan Eyes $750M Eurobond After Panda Bond Success

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s tax administration is set to shift toward an artificial intelligence-led engagement model, with human intervention between the tax authority and taxpayers reduced to a minimum, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said while addressing a banking summit in Karachi.

The minister noted that Parliament has approved a new tax administration structure under which taxpayer notices will now be issued through AI-led systems, marking a shift from the traditional, human-dependent compliance process.

On external financing, Aurangzeb expressed optimism over Pakistan’s entry into international bond markets, citing the recent Panda Bond issuance as a notable milestone despite the country’s late arrival in China’s capital markets. The bond, launched in mid-May, raised the equivalent of $250 million in yuan and attracted demand exceeding five times its target.

The government is now preparing additional Eurobonds and sukuk, with upcoming instruments structured as dollar-settled, rupee-linked bonds, a first for Pakistan. Requests for proposals have been sent to international investors to gauge pricing and demand.

Following Pakistan’s re-entry into the international bond market after a four-year gap, strong Eurobond demand has created room to raise issuance size to $750 million, the minister said.

On capital markets, Aurangzeb said activity drivers mattered more than headline index figures, citing a growing investor base, including Gen Z participants, and a return to double-digit corporate profitability.

On fiscal policy, he said this year’s budget was formulated for the first time by the Tax Policy Office, now under the Finance Division, with focus on export-led growth through removal of the advance and super taxes.

Pakistan Banks’ Association Chairman Zafar Masood added that the banking sector paid over Rs1 trillion in annual taxes, with agriculture lending up 39 percent, housing lending up 90 percent, and SME lending growth exceeding 111 percent year-on-year.

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CategoriesNews Citadel 7 Economy Investment

Sindh, IFC Explore Partnership in Digital Infrastructure and Renewable Energy

KARACHI: The Sindh government and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have agreed to explore collaboration across multiple development sectors, including digital infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, and social protection.

The agreement followed a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and IFC Division Director for Pakistan Simon Andrews, held at the CM House.

During the meeting, CM Murad outlined Sindh’s plans to attract investment in strategic sectors. These include establishing an international data centre within the province and expanding private-sector renewable energy generation.

Discussions also covered strengthening agriculture value chains, improving storage and processing facilities, and enhancing farmer livelihoods through mechanisation.

The IFC expressed interest in supporting healthcare, nutrition, and skills development initiatives, including Sindh’s ongoing programme to reduce child stunting.

Nursing sector reforms also featured prominently in the discussion. The Sindh government aims to produce at least 15,000 nurses annually. Both sides agreed to collaborate on developing a comprehensive nursing education and training model to meet this target.

A separate segment of the meeting focused on climate-resilient infrastructure. The IFC’s Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory Team offered technical assistance for climate risk assessment in public-private partnership (PPP) projects. 

In response, Sindh’s PPP Unit requested support in three areas: capacity building, development of climate resilience guidelines, and integration of climate risk tools into project planning processes.

Provincial Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi were among the officials present at the meeting.

Both parties are expected to continue discussions to formalise areas of cooperation in the coming months.

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CategoriesNews Budget Economy Property Taxes Real Estate Investment

Govt Tax Relief Aims to Revive Real Estate, Push Vertical Growth

ISLAMABAD: The government has introduced fresh tax relief for the real estate sector to restore investor confidence and boost stalled investment, according to Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Development Hafiz Mian Muhammad Nauman.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nauman said the construction and real estate sectors support around 70 allied industries and play a major role in job creation. He stressed the need to shift from unchecked horizontal expansion of cities to vertical urban development.

LCCI President Faheemur Rehman Saigol welcomed the relief measures, which include a cut in withholding tax on property purchases from 2.5% to 1.25%, and on sales from 5.5% to 2.75%, along with the abolition of Section 7E. He said these steps would help rebuild investor trust, though he urged the government to extend reduced FBR property valuation rates to other housing societies for equal treatment across the sector.

Nauman said he had raised real estate reform with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif nearly a year ago, pushing for a comprehensive construction package. He noted that unchecked urban sprawl has shrunk green spaces around major cities, with Lahore now spreading into Sheikhupura and Kasur. Nearly 150,000 to 200,000 residential plots remain vacant within Lahore alone, he said, making a strong case for vertical development.

He called the removal of Section 7E a major relief for property owners, noting that taxing non-income-generating assets had discouraged investment.

On affordable housing, Nauman said high financing costs keep home ownership out of reach for most citizens. He urged banks to offer long-term mortgage financing spanning 15 to 20 years, similar to models used in developed countries.

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Pakistan’s IPO Market
CategoriesNews Economy

Pakistan’s IPO Market Raises Over $70 Million in First Half of 2026

KARACHI: Pakistan’s capital markets showed renewed vigour in the first half of 2026, with companies raising more than Rs20 billion through initial public offerings, according to figures released by the SECP.

The figures reflect a broader push by Islamabad to strengthen the country’s capital markets and steer businesses toward equity financing as an alternative to conventional bank borrowing.

Nine companies completed public listings during the period, drawing capital from a diverse range of sectors including manufacturing, petroleum, dairy, Islamic finance, poultry, and real estate. The SECP attributed the uptick in market activity to a series of regulatory reforms aimed at streamlining the IPO process and making stock market listings more accessible to companies across industries.

In a related development, the regulator unveiled Pakistan’s first regulatory framework for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) mutual funds. Under the new rules, ESG-designated funds will be required to allocate at least fifty percent of their assets to qualifying sustainable investments. 

The framework also incorporates safeguards intended to curb “greenwashing,” ensuring that funds marketed as environmentally or socially responsible genuinely meet defined sustainability criteria.

The ESG framework is part of a wider sustainable finance strategy being rolled out by the SECP, which includes new ESG disclosure requirements, sustainability reporting standards, and the introduction of Pakistan’s Green Taxonomy, a classification system meant to identify and standardise environmentally sustainable economic activities.

Taken together, these developments signal a deliberate effort by Pakistani regulators to modernise the country’s financial markets, attract a broader base of investors, and align domestic capital-raising practices with global sustainability standards. 

Analysts suggest that continued regulatory simplification could further encourage companies to tap public markets in the coming months, potentially deepening liquidity and investor participation in Pakistan’s equity landscape.

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Women’s Property Inheritance Rights
CategoriesNews Economy Property Property Laws

Supreme Court Reaffirms Women’s Property Inheritance Rights in 71-Year-Old Land Dispute

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has restored the property inheritance rights of female heirs in a decades-old land dispute, delivering a judgment underscoring that inheritance of ancestral property is a vested legal and religious right, not something that can be surrendered through informal family arrangements.

The dispute traces back to 1955, when, following the death of the parties’ father, two brothers transferred the family’s inherited property into their own names. They claimed their mother and sisters had orally gifted away their share of the ancestral land.

Appellant Noor Muhammad challenged this claim, arguing the so-called gift was a fabricated device to strip female heirs of their legitimate property inheritance. For decades, the trial court, appellate court, and high court upheld the brothers’ claim, leaving the sisters excluded from land that was rightfully theirs.

A two-judge Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Shahid Bilal Hassan and Shakeel Ahmad, reversed these findings, declaring all prior judgments void and ordering revenue authorities to correct the land record so the sisters’ property inheritance is formally recognised.

The Court ruled that the burden of proving an oral gift lies with those who benefit from it, not with female heirs seeking their inheritance, and reiterated that a valid gift requires clear declaration, acceptance, and delivery of possession. Importantly, it held that revenue mutations serve fiscal record-keeping purposes only and cannot, by themselves, transfer or extinguish property inheritance rights.

The Court also found no unjustified delay in the claim, noting that the sisters had continued to receive income shares from the land for years, indicating no knowledge of the exclusion.

Anchoring its ruling in constitutional guarantees of equality and property rights, alongside Islamic principles, the Court characterised the deprivation of women’s inheritance of property as an entrenched social issue that demands effective enforcement, not just legal recognition on paper.

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CategoriesNews Entertainment Environment Urban Developments & Planning

CDA Plans 350-Acre Wildlife Safari Park in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced plans to build a modern wildlife safari park spread across 350 acres in Islamabad. The facility will be developed at Milpur Forestry Park along Murree Road, near Bhara Kahu, with the design already finalised.

Officials say the project will be executed without disturbing the area’s natural forest cover, and construction will proceed while keeping environmental impact to a minimum.

The park is designed to house 3,605 animals in natural-style habitats, spread across 10 dedicated safari and wildlife sanctuary zones. Among these will be Pakistan’s largest ungulate safari zone, covering 1,000 kanals, along with a separate big cat enclosure for lions, tigers, bears and hyenas. Additional sections will be built for crocodiles, rhinos, elephants and hippos.

Recreational features planned for the site include a one-kilometer forest canopy walk, a two-kilometer chairlift track, a natural lake with a fish pond and bridge walk, and a jungle play area with a zip line for children. A digital museum is also part of the design.

The park’s central area will host a safari village, lodges and recreational centers, while a food street connected directly to Murree Road will offer multiple dining options.

CDA also plans to set up a world-class wildlife care complex, featuring veterinary and quarantine facilities built to international standards, to support animal health and treatment.

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