Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has sealed 94 properties across different parts of the city during a major crackdown on illegal commercial activity and the non-payment of commercialization fees.
The operations were conducted by the LDA Town Planning Wing on the instructions of Director General LDA Tahir Farooq in areas falling under the authority’s jurisdiction.
According to the LDA, enforcement teams carried out operations on Defence Road, Gulberg, Faisal Town, Canal Road, Gulshan Ravi, Mustafa Town and Azam Garden against properties involved in unauthorized commercial use or defaulting on outstanding dues.
During the operation, 20 properties were sealed on Defence Road, while another 30 properties were closed in Gulberg and Faisal Town for illegal commercial use.
Similarly, 30 properties on Canal Road and in Gulshan Ravi were sealed over unauthorized commercial activity and the non-payment of commercialization fees. A further 14 properties were sealed in Mustafa Town and Azam Garden during a recovery operation.
The sealed properties included private schools, bakeries, beauty salons, cafés, restaurants, food outlets, pharmacies, grocery stores, electrical shops, clinics, automobile workshops, offices and other commercial establishments.
The operation was supervised by Chief Town Planner One Asad uz Zaman and Chief Town Planner Two Azhar Ali.
Director General LDA Tahir Farooq said action against illegal commercial buildings and properties defaulting on commercialization fees would continue without discrimination.
He directed the relevant officials to intensify enforcement against unauthorized construction and illegal commercial use to ensure compliance with urban planning regulations and the rule of law across the city.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has assigned administrative responsibilities at the district level to ensure swift and effective implementation of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s “Model Village Programme.”
Under the plan, the District Officer for Infrastructure and Services has been appointed as the district coordinator in each district, while sub-engineers at the tehsil level will also be given additional responsibilities to strengthen project supervision.
The decision was taken during a meeting held via video link under the chairmanship of Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique. The meeting was attended by Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, Special Secretary Arshad Baig, Shahid Zaman Lak, and district officers for infrastructure and services from across the province.
Addressing the meeting, Zeeshan Rafique said that an effective monitoring mechanism at the district level would help ensure the timely completion of development projects while maintaining the required quality standards.
He said sub-engineers would also be assigned additional coordination duties at the tehsil level to improve oversight and speed up implementation.
The minister directed the Secretary of the Local Government Board to hold regular follow-up meetings with district officers and ensure continuous monitoring of contractors’ performance. He made it clear that no compromise would be allowed on either the quality or pace of any development scheme.
Zeeshan Rafique said that 485 villages across Punjab’s 10 divisions were being transformed into model villages under a master planning framework.
He also directed officials to avoid demolishing already constructed streets wherever possible and to ensure that all projects were completed within the approved timeline.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has formally launched the implementation of digital property certificates across all public and private housing societies to make property transactions safer, more transparent and properly documented.
The initiative has initially been introduced in Lahore. Under the new system, all housing societies have been directed to transfer their property sale, purchase, allotment and ownership records to the Housing Society Management System by August 31, 2026.
According to an official notification, the property certificate will now be recognised as the primary legal document proving ownership of any plot or house. Any property sale, purchase or transfer carried out without the certificate will not have legal validity.
Officials said the new digital system has been integrated with the National Database and Registration Authority’s identity records, Punjab’s e-registration portal and a digital mapping system.
The integration is aimed at reducing forged property documents, double allotments, fake files and ownership disputes, while making property transactions more secure.
The Punjab government has warned the management of all private housing societies that uploading their complete records to the portal within the stipulated period is mandatory.
Housing societies that fail to transfer their records after the deadline may face action under the Lahore Development Authority Act, 1975.
According to the notification, legal measures may include sealing the offices of non-compliant societies, registering cases against their management and taking other action permitted under the law.
A government spokesperson said several major private housing societies in Lahore had already transferred their records to the new digital system.
Housing societies in the remaining districts have also been instructed to complete the process at the earliest and have been warned against further delays.
Property experts believe the new system will make it easier for buyers to verify ownership, reduce the risk of fraud and promote greater transparency in the housing sector through reliable digital records.