Punjab Province

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.

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
Construction of three new underpasses on Peshawar Road in Rawalpindi is scheduled to begin during the first week of September 2026, marking a major step toward completion of the final phase of the city’s signal-free corridor project.
The three underpasses will be constructed at Qasim Market Chowk, Charing Cross Chowk and Qabristan Chowk, with the combined estimated cost of the projects standing at approximately Rs 8.835 billion.
The development is part of the final section of the Kachehri Chowk to Chungi No. 26 and Motorway Chowk signal-free corridor, which is being developed to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion on one of Rawalpindi’s key transportation routes.
According to the project plan, authorities have almost completed the relocation of utility services at all three construction sites. Alternative traffic routes have also been finalized to ensure that vehicular movement continues while construction work is underway.
The relocation of electricity, gas, telecommunications and other utility infrastructure is considered an important preparatory step before major civil works begin. Authorities are expected to implement traffic diversions in phases to minimize disruption for commuters and residents using Peshawar Road.
The three underpasses will eliminate major traffic signal points along the corridor and are expected to improve the movement of vehicles between central Rawalpindi and major road networks leading toward Islamabad and surrounding areas.
An underpass at Golra Mor has already been completed under the same signal-free corridor project. Once the remaining three underpasses are constructed and the overall corridor becomes operational, motorists are expected to benefit from significantly smoother and faster journeys.
The completed corridor will provide improved connectivity to Islamabad International Airport, the Islamabad Lahore Motorway, Peshawar Motorway and Hazara Motorway, strengthening the road link between Rawalpindi, Islamabad and major regional routes.
Under the project plan, travel time between Kachehri Chowk and Motorway Chowk is expected to fall to around 20 minutes once the entire signal free corridor is fully operational.
The project is also expected to support long term urban mobility in Rawalpindi by reducing delays at busy intersections, improving traffic circulation and providing more efficient access to major residential, commercial and transportation zones.
With utility relocation and traffic management arrangements nearing completion, the start of construction in September is expected to move the long-planned final phase of the signal free corridor into its main execution stage.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has restrained the Anti Corruption Department from taking disciplinary action against members of a private cooperative housing society, while examining the department’s jurisdiction to initiate inquiries into disputes involving private cooperative societies.
Justice Muhammad Jawad Zafar heard a petition filed by Sheikh Sadaqat, general secretary of a private cooperative society, challenging the Anti Corruption Department’s intervention and inquiry against the society.
During Friday’s proceedings, the court issued an interim stay against the inquiry and directed that no disciplinary action be taken against the petitioner until the next hearing. The case has been fixed for further proceedings on September 21.
Advocate Mian Dawood appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner, while the Anti Corruption Department submitted its written response.
During the hearing, the prosecution maintained that under the Cooperative Societies Act, members of cooperative societies fall within the definition of public servants and can therefore come under the department’s anti-corruption jurisdiction.
The petitioner’s counsel strongly contested this position, arguing that the Lahore High Court had already settled the issue in its earlier judgment in the Khalid Wasim case. According to the counsel, the court had previously held that members of cooperative societies could not be treated as public servants because they neither hold government positions nor receive salaries from the government treasury.
The counsel further argued that in light of the earlier ruling, the Anti Corruption Department lacked legal authority to interfere in disputes concerning cooperative housing societies. He maintained that such matters should be dealt with by the Cooperative Department, which is the relevant regulatory and administrative forum for cooperative societies.
The petitioner also alleged that the Anti Corruption Department had increasingly been used to initiate inquiries against citizens on the basis of unsubstantiated complaints. He claimed that such proceedings had resulted in unnecessary harassment and misuse of official authority.
Describing the ongoing inquiry against the housing society as an example of alleged jurisdictional overreach, the petitioner’s counsel requested the court to declare the Anti Corruption Department’s proceedings unlawful and quash the inquiry.
The latest interim order provides temporary relief to the petitioner and prevents disciplinary action against him until the next hearing. However, the court has yet to issue a final ruling on whether the Anti Corruption Department has jurisdiction over members and affairs of private cooperative housing societies.
The case could have broader implications for the regulation of cooperative housing societies in Punjab, particularly regarding the respective roles and jurisdictions of the Anti Corruption Department and the Cooperative Department in dealing with complaints, administrative disputes and alleged irregularities within private housing societies.