Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab School Education Department has revised its building fitness certificate policy for private schools, allowing educational institutions to obtain the mandatory certificate from any engineer or engineering consultancy firm registered with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC). The move is expected to streamline the registration process and reduce administrative delays for private schools across the province.
Under the previous policy, private schools were required to obtain building fitness certificates exclusively from the Punjab Communication and Works (C&W) Department before completing their registration. With the latest notification, schools now have the flexibility to seek certification from qualified PEC registered professionals, providing an alternative to the earlier government-only mechanism.
Despite the procedural relaxation, the department has reiterated that a building fitness certificate remains a compulsory requirement for the registration and continued operation of private educational institutions. Officials said the revised policy is intended to facilitate compliance without compromising building safety standards.
Chief Executive Officer (Education) Tariq Mahmood said that ensuring structurally safe school buildings remains a top priority for the government. He urged private school operators in Lahore and across Punjab to obtain the required fitness certificates without delay and ensure that their institutions meet all prescribed safety requirements to protect students, teachers and other staff members.
The School Education Department has also instructed all district registration authorities to implement the revised policy immediately and accept building fitness certificates issued by PEC registered civil engineers and engineering firms in accordance with the new guidelines.
The policy change is expected to provide greater convenience for private schools while preserving regulatory oversight and reinforcing the government's commitment to safe educational infrastructure throughout Punjab.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has launched the digital portal for the Apni Chhat, Mehfooz Chhat scheme in the wake of the Kahna tragedy. The initiative aims to strengthen weak and dilapidated roofs, prevent loss of life and provide interest free financial assistance to low income families.
Under the scheme, residents of Punjab will be eligible for interest free loans of up to Rs500,000 to repair and strengthen the roofs of their homes. They will also be able to obtain loans of up to Rs1 million for the construction of an additional room or a second floor.
On the chief minister’s directions, the monthly instalments have also been reduced significantly. The monthly instalment for a Rs500,000 loan will be approximately Rs4,700, while repayments for larger loans will be capped at around Rs9,300 per month.
Applicants can submit their applications online through acag.punjab.gov.pk. Applications can also be filed at the offices of deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency. A dedicated helpline, 0800-09100, has also been established for public assistance.
Addressing the launch ceremony, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said a home was not merely a structure made of bricks and stone but a symbol of safety and protection. She said the deaths of innocent children in the Kahna roof collapse tragedy had prompted the government to take practical steps to make homes across Punjab safer.
She said the government would bear the processing fee and other related charges under the Apni Chhat, Mehfooz Chhat scheme. The application process has been kept simple, while borrowers will also receive a three month grace period before repayment begins.
According to the chief minister, the project is intended to provide safe housing to low income families and prevent loss of life and property caused by heavy rains, windstorms and unsafe or deteriorating structures.
She expressed hope that the initiative would help strengthen vulnerable homes across Punjab and provide residents with a greater sense of security.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) cannot take over land reserved for public amenities in private housing societies or use it for purposes other than those for which it was originally designated, reaffirming that such land is held in trust for the public and must remain dedicated to community welfare.
In a detailed written judgement, Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh held that amenity plots reserved for public facilities such as schools, parks, mosques and other community services constitute a public trust. The court observed that these lands are intended to serve residents of the housing society and cannot be diverted to any alternative purpose by the planning authority.
The judgement was issued while deciding a constitutional petition filed by Cooperative Housing Society Agrerics, which challenged the LDA's decision to transfer ownership of a school-designated amenity plot to the authority after refusing to approve the society's building plan.
The court ruled that although the Lahore Development Authority exercises regulatory oversight over private housing schemes under the law, its powers do not extend to changing the approved purpose of land specifically reserved for public amenities. Justice Sheikh emphasized that the authority must ensure the original public objective of such land is fulfilled rather than replacing it with an alternative use.
The LHC directed the LDA to allot, lease or auction the disputed plot within three months in accordance with the relevant legal framework so that a school can be established on the site. The court noted that the absence of the planned educational facility for more than thirty years had deprived residents of a vital public service that formed part of the original housing scheme.
The judgement also upheld the constitutional validity of Section 13(6) of the Lahore Development Authority Act and the Private Housing Schemes Rules, 2014, concluding that both provisions are consistent with the Constitution and continue to govern planning and development within private housing societies.
However, the court clarified that compliance with the LDA's planning and development laws does not authorize the authority to appropriate or repurpose amenity land for uses other than those originally approved. Instead, such land must remain dedicated to the public purpose for which it was reserved.
Justice Sheikh further held that any future attempt by the Lahore Development Authority to divert amenity plots from their approved public use would remain open to judicial scrutiny and could be challenged before the courts, reinforcing legal protection for community facilities in private housing schemes.