LAHORE DIVISION

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Lahore High Court has issued strong remarks over the prolonged blocking of citizens’ properties, observing that citizens’ properties cannot be kept blocked for years. The court directed the Lahore Development Authority authorities to complete the relevant proceedings within 3 months. Justice Masood Abid Naqvi of the Lahore High Court heard the case. During the hearing, the court noted that the matter had been pending since 2014-15 and that the affected party could not be forced to wait any longer. The court observed that keeping a citizen’s property blocked for an indefinite period was not appropriate and that the relevant institutions must decide the matter within the timeframe prescribed by law. During the proceedings, the court asked the LDA how much time was required to complete the land acquisition process. The LDA representative informed the court that if the affected party agreed to accept an alternative plot, the process could be completed within one month. However, if the decision of the ADCR was set aside, the acquisition process would require another six months. The court, while responding to the LDA’s position, observed that the affected party was not interested in receiving an alternative plot and instead wanted financial compensation in accordance with the law. Therefore, the court remarked that a further six-month extension could not be granted. The court made it clear that since the matter had already remained pending for several years, any further delay would be against the rights of the affected citizen. During the hearing, ADCR Karim Dad Chughtai assured the court that the valuation of the land would be completed within one month. The court, however, directed that the determination of the land value be completed within 15 days so that the matter of payment of compensation to the affected party could be taken forward in accordance with the law. The court ordered the LDA authorities to complete the proceedings within 3 months and sought detailed arguments on legal points at the next hearing.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab government has claimed that, under the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Kisan Card initiative is rapidly providing farmers across the province with financial independence, easy agricultural credit and access to modern farming facilities. The programme is helping farmers reduce their dependence on the traditional middleman system and enabling them to obtain agricultural inputs on time for their crops. According to official figures, Kisan Cards have been issued in record numbers across Punjab for the first time, with more than 832,000 farmers benefiting from the facility so far. Through the Kisan Card, farmers have used loans worth Rs 2.54 billion, while during the wheat season they purchased agricultural inputs worth more than Rs100 billion. According to the Agriculture Department, Rs67 billion was recoverable from 538,000 farmers under the Kisan Card programme. Of this amount, farmers repaid Rs57 billion in installments on time, setting what officials described as an impressive example of financial responsibility. Authorities said the recovery rate stood at 86 percent, calling it an important indicator of the success of the Kisan Card programme and the trust shown by farmers. The scheme has also provided large-scale financial support for the Kharif crop. Official data shows that Rs 90 billion has been provided to farmers for agricultural inputs during the Kharif season, while 300,000 farmers have obtained inputs worth Rs 30 billion through the Kisan Card. The facility aims to ensure the timely availability of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other essential agricultural inputs in order to improve productivity and ease financial pressure on farmers. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the Kisan Card is changing the destiny of Punjab’s farmers. She said farmers in Punjab would no longer remain indebted to middlemen and would be able to live with dignity. The chief minister said it was her dream to see Punjab’s farmers on the path to financial independence and prosperity. Maryam Nawaz Sharif further said that farmers had set an excellent example by repaying agricultural loans on time. She said the Punjab government is pursuing its mission to strengthen farmers through innovation, transparency and farmer friendly policies in the agriculture sector.

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan] The revenue of the Lahore Development Authority has reached the highest level in its history, with the authority collecting more than Rs73.8 billion over the past two years, setting a new record. According to official figures, the LDA collected Rs 25 billion in revenue during the first 11 months of fiscal year 2025-26, while total receipts are expected to reach nearly Rs 29 billion by the end of the financial year. Officials said the performance is being described as the most significant financial achievement in the authority’s history. Over the past decade, LDA revenue has recorded a 232 percent increase. In fiscal year 2016-17, the authority’s income stood at Rs 8.7 billion, which is now expected to rise to Rs 29 billion in FY2025-26. According to the figures, LDA’s revenue has shown a major improvement over the past two years. Officials said the historic increase in receipts was made possible due to Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s digital governance policy, regulatory reforms, institutional restructuring, online services and a more transparent system. During this period, action against illegal commercialisation was intensified, the scope of digital property mapping was expanded and enforcement operations were made more effective. Official data also presents a comparative overview of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf government’s four-year tenure and the current government’s period. According to the report, LDA’s total revenue during the four-year PTI tenure stood at Rs46.9 billion, while collections over the past two years have exceeded Rs 73.8 billion. Officials said the difference reflects institutional reforms, strict monitoring, effective enforcement of laws and improvement in the revenue system. The LDA generated record receipts from multiple revenue sources, including commercialisation fees, illegal commercialisation charges, plot transfer fees, LDA City transfers, exemption fees, charges for extension in building completion periods, town planning fees and fines, lease income, share in urban immovable property tax, sale of plots and development charges. Officials said more than Rs 2 billion was recovered in fines during the enforcement campaign against illegal commercial activities. Thousands of notices were issued during this period, while action was taken against properties violating rules in different areas of Lahore. Officials said these measures not only increased revenue but also improved compliance with regulations within the city limits. The LDA also introduced business-friendly measures for investors and property owners. The auction process was simplified, certain land-use regulations were relaxed and digital platforms were activated to improve service delivery. According to the authority, these reforms facilitated citizens, builders, developers and investors, while reducing reliance on the traditional file-based system. The impact of institutional improvement was also reflected in the performance of the LDA Citizen Facilitation Centre. According to the data, the centre processed more than 63,000 applications during 2025. During the same period, thousands of NOCs were issued, building plans were approved and a large number of transfer and commercialisation-related cases were disposed of. Officials said these figures reflect growing public confidence and increased use of the digital system. Urban development experts said inflation, rising property values and market activity also contributed to the increase in LDA’s revenue. However, they described administrative reforms, effective monitoring, digital governance and better supervision of revenue streams as the key reasons behind the exceptional improvement. Experts said that in view of Lahore’s rapidly growing urban population, expanding residential and commercial activity and increasing infrastructure needs, the role of the LDA will become even more important in the coming years. Government circles see LDA’s recent financial performance as an example of how digital reforms, transparency and effective enforcement of law can significantly improve the revenue and performance of public institutions.