Punjab Province

Lahore : ReNews Pakistan
Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Tahir Farooq has directed officials to accelerate land acquisition and development work in LDA City while ensuring complete transparency in land procurement and compensation payments, warning that strict action will be taken over any complaints of irregularities.
The LDA director general issued the directives during a visit to LDA City, where the Director LDA City, Director Engineering and Director Land Acquisition Collector (LAC) briefed him on land acquisition, ongoing development projects and other related matters.
Officials informed the DG that the land acquisition process in Mouza Toor Warraich was progressing rapidly. Farooq inspected ongoing development work as well as land already acquired by the authority and directed officials to further expedite the acquisition of the remaining land in the area.
He said representatives of all relevant departments had been deployed at the LDA One Window Cell to facilitate citizens. Revenue staff and LDA teams are also available at the facility to provide guidance and assistance on land acquisition and other related matters.
Later, Farooq chaired a meeting to review development work, land acquisition and other matters concerning LDA City. He directed officials to ensure transparency at every stage of land acquisition and compensation payments to affected landowners, warning that strict action would be taken if any complaint was received.
The DG also ordered the immediate removal of encroachments from acquired land and directed officials to clear such properties at the earliest and install boards identifying them as LDA-owned land.
He specifically directed that LDA ownership boards be installed on acquired land along Canal Road and Ring Road to protect the authority's property from encroachments and illegal occupation.
Farooq also ordered the complete computerisation of land acquisition records and called for stronger coordination among all relevant departments. He directed officials to deploy additional machinery to accelerate development work and ensure that construction activities in LDA City continue without interruption.
The DG instructed the authorities concerned to take special measures to provide residential facilities to citizens and expedite the completion of development infrastructure across the housing scheme.
During the meeting, officials also briefed him on measures being taken and progress made in land acquisition in Mouza Halloki. Farooq directed the authorities to take similar measures to advance land acquisition in other mouzas falling within LDA City.
He stressed that development activities in LDA City should continue uninterrupted and that land acquisition and other issues potentially affecting the pace of the project should be resolved on a priority basis.
The meeting was attended by the Additional DG Urban Planning, Director LDA City, Director Engineering, Director LAC, Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue, DCR, Assistant Commissioner Nishtar Town and other officials concerned.

Rawalpindi | ReNews Pakistan
The cost of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project has surged to more than Rs 53 billion from an initial estimate of Rs 22.82 billion, as repeated delays and revisions have left the major infrastructure scheme incomplete around five years after its launch.

The 38.3 kilometre, six-lane Ring Road project was awarded in March 2022 with the objective of improving traffic flow, strengthening regional connectivity and easing pressure on Rawalpindi’s existing road network.

However, delays in the project’s execution and subsequent revisions have pushed its cost up by around Rs 30 billion, taking the overall estimated expenditure beyond Rs 53 billion.

The Punjab government has announced several deadlines for completion of the project over the years, while preparations for its inauguration were reportedly made on two occasions. Despite these efforts, the road has yet to become fully operational.

Sources in the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) said approximately 90 percent of construction work has now been completed and work on the remaining portions is progressing rapidly.

The prolonged delay and sharp escalation in cost have raised concerns over the financial burden on the public exchequer, particularly given the scale and strategic importance of the project. The Ring Road is regarded as one of the largest infrastructure projects undertaken in Rawalpindi.

Alongside construction delays and rising costs, the project has also faced scrutiny over alleged alterations to its original design.

An inquiry into the alleged design changes was launched in July, with Additional Chief Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar seeking the complete record of the project for examination.

Issues relating to No Objection Certificates (NOCs), approved layouts, access roads and other regulatory clearances have also become the subject of legal disputes, with some matters reaching the courts.

Questions surrounding alterations to the Ring Road’s original design first emerged in 2022 during the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf government’s tenure. The controversy subsequently led to the transfer of then Rawalpindi Commissioner Muhammad Mehmood, Deputy Commissioner Anwar-ul-Haq and several other officials.

With most of the physical work now reported to have been completed, attention remains focused on the completion of the remaining construction, resolution of regulatory and legal issues and the final cost of a project whose estimated expenditure has more than doubled since its inception.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
A bill has been submitted to the Punjab Assembly proposing reforms to the inheritance framework for minority communities, including the registration of succession matters with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and formal documentation of gifts made during the distribution of inherited property.
Under the proposed Succession Act 2025, inheritance-related matters involving minority communities would be registered with NADRA to make the transfer and distribution of inherited property more transparent and properly documented.
The proposed legislation would also bring gifts and property transfers made by way of hiba within the registration framework where they affect the distribution of an inheritance. The measure is intended to create a formal record of property ownership, transfers and the respective shares of heirs, potentially helping to prevent and resolve future inheritance disputes.
The bill has been submitted by Philebus Christopher, chairman of the Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Minority Affairs. He said the proposed legislation could mark an important step towards safeguarding the inheritance rights of minority communities and establishing a clearer legal mechanism for dealing with succession matters.
Christopher said the legislation would not only provide minorities in Punjab with a defined legal framework for resolving inheritance matters but could also encourage other provinces to introduce similar measures aimed at protecting the rights of minority communities.
A key feature of the proposed law is the formal documentation of succession proceedings. Registration would help establish a more systematic record of property transfers, gifts, hiba and the rights and shares of legal heirs.
If approved and implemented, the legislation is expected to provide a formal legal and administrative framework for inheritance matters involving minority communities. Linking succession records with NADRA could also facilitate verification of relevant information and improve transparency in the distribution and transfer of inherited property.
The proposed legislation is also intended to replace the century old legal framework currently governing inheritance matters for minority communities, bringing the system in line with contemporary documentation and registration requirements.