The Quetta Development Authority (QDA) has scheduled a public auction of 394 commercial plots from November 16 to 18, with properties available in Link Sariab Road, Zarghoon Housing Scheme and several locations in Hazar Ganji.

According to the auction notice, proceedings will run from 10am to 4pm at the QDA venue on Sariab Road. The plots are divided across seven categories, with reserve prices ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 20,000 per square foot.

On November 16, QDA will offer 15 plots on Link Sariab Road at a reserve price of Rs 20,000 per square foot, 26 plots in Zarghoon Housing Scheme at Rs 6,000 per square foot, and 50 commercial plots in Hazar Ganji at Rs 8,000 per square foot.
The November 17 auction will include 40 plots at the Hazar Ganji bus stand, priced at Rs 5,000 per square foot, and 212 plots in the Hazar Ganji garage complex, with a reserve price of Rs 2,000 per square foot.

On the final day, 27 plots at the Hazar Ganji builders centre will be offered at Rs 1,500 per square foot, while 24 plots in the Hazar Ganji oil-tanker area will have a reserve price of Rs 1,000 per square foot.
Interested bidders must pay a non-refundable registration fee of Rs 10,000 and submit a call deposit equal to 20% of the plot’s total reserve value.

Successful bidders will be required to pay 25% of the accepted bid as a down payment, with the remaining amount payable in instalments over two years. The notice also specifies a 5% EWF charge, applicable government taxes and execution of an agreement on stamp paper within 15 days of receiving the allotment order.

QDA has reserved the right to reject any or all bids without assigning a reason. Prospective participants can seek further details from the authority’s Director Estate Commercial.

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is stepping up enforcement against illegal housing schemes, issuing final notices to non-compliant projects and preparing to seek the disconnection of their electricity and gas supplies.

The RDA’s Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering Directorate has developed the enforcement strategy in coordination with its Enforcement Squad, according to official sources. The plan targets unauthorized residential developments operating without approved layouts and required clearance certificates. Under the proposed action, the authority will write to the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), recommending that utility connections to illegal schemes be disconnected.

The RDA has also instructed developers, builders and housing scheme managements to register on its Housing Scheme Management System (HSMS) portal within the stipulated timeframe. Those who fail to comply could face legal proceedings, the sealing of site offices and the demolition of unauthorized structures.

The authority plans to issue public notices warning citizens against investing in unapproved housing projects. It has urged prospective buyers to verify a scheme’s legal status through the RDA’s official website before purchasing residential or commercial property.

The Punjab cabinet has unanimously deferred a proposal to cut the commercialisation fee from 20% to 10% of a property’s DC valuation, leaving applicants without immediate relief.
Sources said the fee for declaring a property commercial currently stands at 20% of its DC valuation. In anticipation of the proposed reduction, many property owners had waited for the rate to fall, and several had not paid challans issued for commercialisation cases.

The proposal was deferred amid concerns that the reduction could cause significant losses to the public exchequer. The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) could also face a substantial annual shortfall in commercialisation fee revenue.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Islamabad/Rawalpindi has helped resolve a longstanding dispute over the mining lease for pozzolan in Gaini, Diamer district, Gilgit-Baltistan. NAB said the development secured national resources valued at Rs 123 billion. The Gilgit-Baltistan government has decided to grant a new lease to WAPDA and the Diamer Bhasha Development Company (DBDC). The initiative was taken on the directions of NAB Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Nazir Ahmed.

Pozzolan is a volcanic material that can be blended with cement to produce roller-compacted concrete. According to WAPDA, extraction and transportation of the material from Gaini began on September 25. It will be processed for use in the main structure of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, paving the way for roller-compacted concrete placement at the project site.

NAB’s statement did not specify how the dispute was resolved or how the value of Rs 123 billion was calculated. However, at a meeting on strategic water projects chaired by the prime minister in December 2025, the Gilgit-Baltistan administration was directed to hand over reservoir land in Gaini to WAPDA and cancel leases granted within the reservoir area. The meeting also said that, if required, leases for pozzolan deposits outside the reservoir limits could be considered under the applicable rules, while WAPDA was directed to pay royalties to the Gilgit-Baltistan government in accordance with the law.

The prime minister’s earlier directives also called for preventing any party from interfering in Gaini’s pozzolan-related matters to avoid disruption to material supplies for the Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu projects. According to NAB, resolving the dispute and deciding to grant a new lease has cleared the way for continued mining and supply of pozzolan for the major water project.

Lahore Fort’s historic Akbari Gate has been restored after remaining closed since British rule, paving the way for a new public entrance linking the fort with the Walled City.

Authorities plan to install a ticketing booth before opening the gate for visitors and local residents.
A soft launch ceremony was held to mark the restoration of the gate and the Curator’s House, another historic structure within the fort. The conservation work was carried out under the Heritage and Urban Regeneration: Tourism Development in Lahore Fort and its Buffer Zone (HURL) project. Launched in 2022, the project is supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and implemented by the Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority (PWCA) in partnership with Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCS-P).

PWCA Director General Najmus Saqib said the restored entrance would improve public access to heritage sites, attract tourists and create economic opportunities. Reopening the gate is expected to provide a more direct connection between Lahore Fort and the surrounding Walled City. The Curator’s House, a British-era building that was previously used as a guard room and later for administrative and residential purposes, is set to be converted into an eatery for visitors.

AKCS-P Chief Executive Officer Tausif Khawaja said the conservation work was intended to preserve Lahore’s cultural heritage while supporting local communities and economic activity.