LAHORE DIVISION

Lahore : Riaz Hussain ReNews Pakistan The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has sealed 101 properties across different parts of the city during a major operation against unauthorized commercial use and non payment of commercial fees. Acting on the directives of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq, teams from the Town Planning Wing carried out operations in Gulberg, Faisal Town, Canal Road, Samanabad, Poonch Road and Allama Iqbal Town. According to the LDA, 30 properties were sealed in Gulberg and Faisal Town for unauthorized commercial use, while another 51 properties were sealed in Samanabad and along Poonch Road over illegal commercial activities and non-payment of commercial fees. During a separate recovery operation, LDA teams sealed another 20 properties in Allama Iqbal Town. The sealed properties included private schools, grocery stores, clinics, beauty salons, cafés, restaurants, food outlets, hardware stores, electrical stores, pharmacies, shops, showrooms, offices and other commercial establishments. The operation was carried out under the supervision of Chief Town Planner-I Asad-uz-Zaman. DG LDA Tahir Farooq said enforcement action against unauthorized commercial buildings and properties with outstanding commercial fees would continue without discrimination.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan Ghani Global Holdings Limited has taken a significant step towards placing its real estate assets under a structured Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) framework after shareholders approved a proposed corporate restructuring scheme. According to documents filed with the Pakistan Stock Exchange, shareholders approved the Scheme of Compromise, Arrangement and Reconstruction at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on August 8, 2026. The scheme involves Ghani Global Holdings Limited, G3 REIT Management Limited, G3 Properties (Private) Limited and G3 Homes LLP. Under the proposed arrangement, designated real estate assets held by G3 Homes LLP are intended to be transferred and vested in G3 Properties (Private) Limited, which has been designated as a Special Purpose Vehicle for the proposed REIT structure. G3 Homes LLP is established to acquire, hold, develop, construct, manage, sell, lease and operate residential, commercial, industrial and mixed use real estate assets. Ghani Global says the entity will act as the transferor of designated real estate assets under the restructuring scheme. The group had already established G3 REIT Management Limited as part of its expansion into the real estate investment sector. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan approved the establishment of the REIT management company in April 2026. The latest restructuring therefore moves Ghani Global further towards bringing its property assets under a regulated and institutional REIT based investment structure rather than holding them solely through conventional corporate real estate arrangements. The shareholder vote, however, does not mean that the restructuring has been fully completed. The scheme remains subject to approval by the Lahore High Court and other competent authorities before it can be implemented. Ghani Global’s restructuring is significant for Pakistan’s property market because it reflects a broader shift from directly held corporate real estate towards regulated REIT based ownership and investment structures, potentially widening institutional participation in the sector.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan Property buyers and investors in Punjab can check information about housing societies online through the Punjab Land Records Authority’s (PLRA) Housing Society Management System, providing a convenient way to carry out preliminary verification before purchasing a plot, house or other property in a housing project. The online facility allows citizens to search the housing societies directory using details such as division, district, tehsil and the name of the housing society. The system then displays the information available in official records for the selected project. The service is particularly important for prospective buyers because the legal and approval status of a housing society can have significant implications for property ownership, development permissions, infrastructure and future resale. Before investing in a housing project, buyers are generally advised to establish whether the scheme has obtained the necessary approvals from the relevant development or regulatory authority. Depending on the location of a project, the competent authority may vary, making verification an important part of the property-buying process. How the Online Verification System Works Citizens can access the housing society search facility through the Punjab Zameen portal and open the approved societies directory. The search system provides several fields through which users can narrow down the relevant housing project. These include division, district, tehsil and housing society name. After entering the available information, the user can select the “Search Now” option to retrieve matching records. This enables buyers to check available official information about a project instead of depending entirely on advertisements, property dealers, social media promotions or claims made by developers. The online system can also be useful when two projects have similar names or when a housing scheme is being marketed across different areas. Searching by geographical details can help users identify the relevant project more accurately. Why Verification Matters Before Buying Property Housing society approval is one of the key issues buyers should investigate before committing money to a property transaction. Marketing material, booking forms or claims by an agent should not by themselves be treated as proof that an entire housing project, or every block and extension within it, has received all necessary approvals. Buyers should therefore examine the available official record carefully and, where necessary, seek further confirmation from the relevant development authority or government department. Particular attention should be paid to the exact name and location of the society, its approved area and any information available regarding specific phases, blocks or extensions. A project may undergo changes over time, and the status of different portions of a development may not necessarily be identical. Prospective purchasers should also verify property ownership and land records separately where relevant, as checking a housing society’s regulatory status does not replace due diligence on the particular plot or property being purchased. A Digital Tool for Safer Property Decisions The PLRA facility provides citizens with a useful first step for conducting property due diligence from home. It can help prospective buyers identify available government records before visiting a developer’s office, paying a booking amount or entering into a property transaction. However, buyers should treat the online directory as part of a broader verification process rather than relying on a single source of information. Before making a substantial investment, purchasers should cross-check the latest status with the competent authority, examine ownership and title documents, confirm the status of the specific plot or block and ensure that information supplied by the seller or developer corresponds with official records. The Punjab Zameen housing societies directory can be accessed through the official PLRA portal: Check Housing Society Status on Punjab Zameen The availability of an online verification facility gives property buyers another way to independently examine a housing project before committing their savings, potentially reducing their reliance on unverified marketing claims and informal sources.