LAHORE DIVISION

Lahore : ReNews Pakistan A high-level meeting chaired by Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Tahir Farooq reviewed various administrative and operational matters of the authority, including departmental performance, field inspection procedures, public service delivery, and the performance of officers and staff. The meeting was attended by Additional Directors General, Chief Town Planners, the Chief Metropolitan Planner, Chief IT Officer, and other senior officials. The LDA DG directed the Town Planning Wing to immediately adopt clear and effective Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for field inspections. Tahir Farooq made it clear that officers and staff must obtain prior approval from the relevant supervisory officer before conducting inspections or sealing any property. Town Planning officials and field staff will not be allowed to seal any property without prior authorization. The DG also directed the concerned authorities to introduce a digital mechanism for sealing and de-sealing properties at the earliest, aimed at improving transparency, monitoring, and accountability in the process. He emphasized that modern technology should be used to make the procedure more transparent, efficient, and accountable. Addressing the meeting, Tahir Farooq said that delays and corrupt practices in the delivery of public services would not be tolerated under any circumstances. He directed that officers and staff found creating unnecessary hurdles in providing services to citizens should be removed from their posts. He also ordered strict action against private individuals misusing the LDA’s name, stressing that fraudulent activities or unauthorized use of the authority’s name would not be tolerated. The DG further directed that all citizen-related LDA services be shifted to the eBiz portal as soon as possible. He said LDA officers and staff should not have direct contact with applicants whose requests are submitted through the eBiz portal, in order to ensure greater transparency and prevent unnecessary interference in the service delivery process. The meeting also reviewed the performance of officers and staff posted in different LDA wings, along with the duration of their current postings. Tahir Farooq expressed displeasure over delays in the file scrutiny process and directed the concerned officials to ensure the timely disposal of cases. He instructed Additional Directors General and heads of all wings to submit regular performance reports, emphasizing that efficiency, transparency, accountability, and timely service delivery must be ensured across the authority. The meeting was also attended by the Director Administration, Director Architect, Director C&I, Director Housing-IV, and other relevant officials.

Lahore : ReNews Pakistan Canton Sky Tower has been launched in Lahore by OZ Developers as a new mixed use real estate development designed around Pakistan China business links, wholesale trade and integrated commercial and residential activity. The project brings business, trade and living together within a single vertical development. Located on Main Raiwind Road near Adda Plot and the Lahore Ring Road, Canton Sky Tower is being positioned as more than a conventional commercial building. The development includes commercial units, exhibition and wholesale space, a food court and residential apartments across different floors. A central element of the project is the Pakistan China Town concept, developed in collaboration with Guangdong Huashu International Economic and Trade Group. According to project information, the model aims to connect Pakistani businesses with a network of more than 3,000 verified Chinese manufacturers across 11 industrial categories. The business model is focused on business to business trade rather than conventional consumer retail. Commercial spaces are intended to support product displays, wholesale transactions and direct sourcing links between Pakistani businesses and Chinese manufacturers. The development combines commercial and exhibition activity on the lower floors, a food court component and residential units on the upper floors. This creates an integrated model where trade, business services and residential facilities operate within the same project. The launch comes as mixed use developments continue to gain attention in Lahore’s real estate market. Developers are increasingly combining commercial, residential and lifestyle components in single projects to create destinations that can generate activity throughout the day rather than relying only on traditional retail footfall. Canton Sky Tower’s wholesale focused model also seeks to differentiate the project from conventional shopping plazas. Its proposed network of Chinese manufacturers could provide local importers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers with direct sourcing opportunities, potentially creating a business ecosystem around the development. The long term performance of the project will depend on how effectively the wholesale platform connects Chinese manufacturers with Pakistani businesses and how successfully the commercial component attracts sustained business activity. OZ Developers has positioned Canton Sky Tower as a business, trade and residential destination that aims to bring Pakistan China commercial cooperation into Lahore’s growing mixed use real estate sector.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab government has doubled its target for providing interest free loans under the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Programme following a record number of applications, aiming to provide financial assistance to more deserving families for the construction of their own homes. A meeting chaired by Punjab Housing Minister Bilal Yasin reviewed the progress of the programme, loan disbursements and pending payments. Director General PHATA Sikandar Zeshan, Urban Unit Chief Executive Officer Umar Masood, representatives of the Bank of Punjab and officials from other relevant institutions attended the meeting. The meeting was informed that more than Rs 243 billion in interest free loans have so far been disbursed under the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Programme, while the number of approved loans has crossed 200,000. According to the briefing, 114,237 houses have been completed under the programme, while construction work is currently underway on another 45,254 houses. Punjab Housing Minister Bilal Yasin directed the relevant authorities to immediately release pending payments and said complaints regarding unnecessary delays in loan disbursements would be addressed promptly. He said the primary objective of the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Programme is to provide deserving families with dignified, secure and permanent housing. The provincial government, he added, is taking measures to ensure that more families can benefit from the initiative and build their own homes. Bilal Yasin also directed the concerned institutions to accelerate the process of resolving citizens’ complaints. He instructed the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to ensure effective coordination among all stakeholders involved in the programme. The provincial minister said the loan disbursement targets for the current financial year had been doubled in view of the record number of applications, enabling more deserving families to fulfil their dream of owning a home.