LAHORE DIVISION

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan On the directives of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Town Planning Wing has intensified its crackdown on illegal commercial activities and non-payment of commercial fees. LDA teams conducted operations across various areas within the authority’s controlled jurisdiction, sealing a total of 81 properties. According to the LDA, the operations were carried out in Gulberg, Canal Road, Gulshan Ravi, Shadbagh, Shah Jamal, Poonch Road and Allama Iqbal Town. In Gulberg, 30 properties were sealed for illegal commercial use. A further 40 properties were sealed along Canal Road, Gulshan Ravi, Shadbagh, Shah Jamal and Poonch Road over violations involving illegal commercial use and non-payment of commercial fees. During a recovery operation in Allama Iqbal Town, another 11 properties were sealed. The sealed properties included private schools, grocery stores, beauty salons, cafés, restaurants, food points, clinics, pharmacies, shops, showrooms, auto workshops and offices, among other commercial establishments. The LDA said the operation was conducted under the supervision of Chief Town Planner-I Asad-uz-Zaman. The authority stated that action against illegal commercial buildings and property owners who have defaulted on commercial fees would continue without discrimination across the city. LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said no leniency would be shown toward properties violating regulations and that strict enforcement of commercial rules would be ensured.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan Property registration activities in Punjab are facing renewed difficulties as technical and system related issues involving the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) continue to affect the processing of property transactions. The latest situation has created uncertainty among property buyers, sellers, deed writers and real-estate professionals, particularly over the generation and verification of challans required before a registry can be completed. Reports of disruptions have emerged against the backdrop of the province’s transition towards a more integrated digital property-registration system. Similar technical problems were reported in June, when PLRA and FBR portal glitches reportedly prevented some sub-registrars from accessing the systems and left registrations pending. However, as of August 25, there is no official PLRA notification available confirming a complete province-wide suspension of property registries. The official PLRA website continues to show “Apply for New Registry” as an active service and provides the digital procedure for completing registration. Under the current digital process, applicants have to generate the required e-Stamp challan, pay stamp duty and applicable FBR taxes, registration and mutation fees, and then proceed through verification and the Sub Registrar process. The disruption is therefore being viewed primarily as a system and implementation problem rather than a formally announced ban on registries. The issue is particularly significant because Punjab has recently introduced major changes to its land and property-record system, including the Green Property Certificate, which became mandatory for land and property transactions from July 1. The certificate was introduced under the Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement (PULSE) project to improve transparency and security in property transactions. Property stakeholders are concerned that delays in digital verification, challan processing and coordination between PLRA and FBR systems could slow transactions and affect government revenue collection. A previous disruption in Rawalpindi also demonstrated the impact that administrative and valuation changes can have on registrations. In July, a sharp increase in DC valuation rates, combined with the absence of updated tax and fee notifications, reportedly brought registrations in the district to a standstill, leaving thousands of cases pending. The latest developments have consequently renewed calls from property stakeholders for PLRA, the Board of Revenue and FBR to ensure uninterrupted operation of the digital registration system and provide clear instructions to registration offices. For now, the official PLRA platform continues to advertise registry services, indicating that registrations have not been officially suspended across Punjab, although transaction-level disruptions may be occurring because of technical and procedural issues.

Lahore | ReNews International Desk Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered a ban on excavation and other forms of damage to newly constructed roads across the province, directing government departments and public agencies to coordinate development work before roads are built or resurfaced. The directive was issued during a meeting on Monday to review own-source revenue development projects, where the chief minister stressed the need to prevent newly completed roads from being repeatedly dug up for sewerage, utility or other infrastructure work. Maryam Nawaz instructed officials to ensure that development agencies coordinate their plans and complete underground infrastructure work before the construction or resurfacing of roads. The move is aimed at improving the quality and lifespan of new roads while reducing public inconvenience and unnecessary government expenditure. She also directed authorities to ensure that manholes and sewerage covers are properly aligned with road surfaces. Newly constructed roads must also include adequate drainage systems, clear road signage and proper lane markings. Development Projects Approved Across Major Punjab Cities The chief minister further ordered that government departments must obtain prior approval before collecting any charges from shopkeepers. Officials were also directed to establish separate and clearly defined timelines for individual development projects to ensure better monitoring and timely completion. During the meeting, the Punjab government approved a range of own-source revenue schemes for Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad. The approved projects cover road construction and widening, resurfacing, footpaths, drainage and sewerage infrastructure, urban beautification, sports facilities and the solarization of disposal stations. In Lahore, the government approved beautification projects covering 10 major roads. The selected routes include Egerton Road, Lytton Road, Davis Road, Lower Mall, Lawrence Road, Queen’s Road and Bank Road. The Lahore plans also include the beautification of Lakshmi Chowk and improvements along the Orange Line track on Multan Road. The work will involve cleaning, plantation and mural painting aimed at improving the overall appearance of key urban corridors. The government also approved rural road development projects in Lahore, along with road construction, solar streetlights and beautification schemes in Kasur. In Sheikhupura, five projects covering sewerage systems, pumping stations and road infrastructure were also approved. The latest directives reflect the Punjab government's broader push to improve urban infrastructure while ensuring that development projects are better coordinated, completed within defined timelines and protected from repeated excavation after construction.