National Real Estate News

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed deputy commissioners across the province to enforce a complete ban on the burning of crop residue, saying the practice is adding to worsening air pollution and smog.
She issued the order during a high-level meeting with deputy commissioners from all districts in Lahore on Thursday.

“Punjab is confronting a serious issue of rising smog levels, and burning of crop residue is adding further to air pollution,” she said. The chief minister said the provincial government was committed to making Punjab an ideal province, with district-by-district beautification plans underway. She expressed concern over delays in implementing the plans in some areas. She criticised the Okara deputy commissioner for failing to give adequate attention to crop-residue burning in the district.

Maryam ordered the formation of special squads to improve governance and road maintenance. She also directed deputy commissioners to repair water filtration plants in their districts and instructed deputy commissioners and additional deputy commissioners to visit hospitals daily and ensure medical facilities were available to patients.

During the meeting, Shoaib Mirza, adviser to the chief minister on the Punjab Performance Management Unit, presented a performance report covering Gujranwala, Attock, Bahawalpur, Murree, Chakwal, Jhelum, Layyah and Sahiwal. The chief minister also called for Punjab to be made free of encroachments and stressed coordinated operations to address the issue.

The government has drawn up a plan to invest about $1 billion over the next three to five years to expand Pakistan’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) infrastructure amid rising demand and constraints in the existing supply chain.

The proposed investment includes new import terminals, storage facilities, cylinders, filling plants and transport infrastructure. A senior Petroleum Division official said Pakistan’s annual LPG demand had reached about 2.4 million metric tonnes. Demand grew by an average of 7.5 per cent a year over the past six years and is expected to increase by 8 to 8.5 per cent annually in the coming years. The plan aims to expand the existing supply system and meet projected demand, according to sources.

A KPMG analysis based on government estimates projects that LPG demand will rise from about 2.4 million tonnes in fiscal year 2025-26 to 4.16 million tonnes by FY2032-33. Domestic production is expected to increase more slowly, from around 960,000 tonnes to 1.35 million tonnes over the same period. To bridge the gap, imports could rise from 1.4 million tonnes to 2.8 million tonnes. Pakistan’s existing infrastructure also requires expansion. Both of the country’s seaborne LPG terminals are located at Port Qasim, each with a storage capacity of about 6,500 metric tonnes. The terminals can receive vessels of up to approximately 10,000 dead weight tonnes, while their capacity to handle larger ships and provide additional storage remains limited. About 71 per cent of the country’s overall LPG supply is met through imports, according to a report.
Reports citing Petroleum Division documents have also highlighted rising demand, limited domestic production and reliance on imported supplies. Petroleum officials say disruptions to supply through the western border have underscored the need to diversify import sources and strengthen the transport network.

The proposed expansion could increase import and storage capacity while improving cylinder availability, filling operations and distribution across the country. However, available reports do not specify the plan’s final approval status, project schedule or implementation details.

More than one million acres acquired for the development and settlement of Punjab’s Thal region have come under investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). A comparison of official land acquisition notifications and revenue records has revealed a discrepancy of 552,602 acres across five districts: Layyah, Kot Addu, Bhakkar, Mianwali and Khushab.
According to media reports, land acquisition notifications show that 1,016,007 acres were acquired for the Thal Development Authority (TDA). The Board of Revenue’s records list 507,688 acres, while deputy commissioners’ records collectively show 463,405 acres. The difference between the notified area and the district records amounts to 552,602 acres. A report published in September also cited a discrepancy of around 552,000 acres in the NAB inquiry, although its figures for the total area differed slightly. The investigation covers alleged illegal adjustments of state land, questionable claims to the right of return, possible manipulation of records and transfers of land to private claimants or government departments. According to reports, complete records for three revenue estates in Kot Addu are unavailable, while records for five estates in Bhakkar are also reportedly missing. In Layyah, acquisition notifications list 566,360 acres, but the area shown in various revenue entries does not match that figure. Investigators are also examining alleged land adjustments made through forged files and transfers based on purported “RL-II” claims. Details published in September alleged that around 23,000 acres had been adjusted through fake “Nathi Bai” files. Of that area, 5,000 acres were reportedly transferred back to the TDA in government records. The same report said 6,100 acres had been transferred on the basis of alleged fake RL-II claims, which the Board of Revenue had declared bogus. A recent report, citing NAB records, said more than 22,500 acres had been resumed or transferred to the government in three districts, with an estimated value of around Rs 95 billion. Earlier, on September 25, NAB Multan and the district administration restored 3,831 acres in Kot Addu to the TDA, with an estimated value of about Rs 8 billion. The related land mutations were cancelled. NAB said the process was carried out with care to protect the rights of lawful owners and genuine claimants. The Thal Development Act, 1949 empowers the authority to frame development schemes and acquire land in accordance with the law. It also provides a process for objections to proposed acquisitions. NAB and revenue officials are now reviewing records relating to the historical acquisition of land, right-of-return claims and subsequent transfers.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has revised property valuation rules for rural areas of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and issued a new schedule of fair market values for immovable property in Abbottabad. The changes were notified on November 5, 2026, through two separate statutory regulatory orders (SROs). Under SRO 2061(I)/2026, the FBR amended SRO 644(I)/2026, issued on April 16, to link valuations in ICT’s rural areas to the latest rates notified by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue)/District Collector, Islamabad. The change means the applicable values will follow the collector’s updated rate tables rather than a fixed federal schedule. Through SRO 2060(I)/2026, issued under Section 68 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, the FBR replaced the Abbottabad valuation schedule notified in SRO 1679(I)/2024 on October 29, 2024. Under the revised Abbottabad schedule, residential open plots in Main Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar, Jinnah Masjid Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Gurdwara Gali and Kutcheri Road are valued at Rs 1.25 million per marla. The rate for Abbottabad Bazaar is Rs 970,000 per marla, while residential plots on Iqbal Road are valued at Rs 800,000 per marla. Commercial open plots in Main Bazaar and adjoining specified areas have been assigned the highest rate in the schedule, at Rs 5.8 million per marla. Commercial property in Abbottabad Bazaar is valued at Rs 4.4 million per marla, while the rate for Mansehra Road, from Fawara Chowk to Mian Gi Hotel, is Rs 4 million per marla. Other commercial rates include Rs 3.1 million per marla for Jinnahabad, and Rs 3 million for Havelian Bazaar and Nathia Gali Main Road. College Road Mandian, Old College Road Mandian, Comsats Road, Murree Road and Changla Gali have been valued at Rs 2.5 million per marla.

Pakistan’s electricity consumers are facing billions of rupees in additional costs because transmission constraints are preventing cheaper power generated in Sindh and southern Pakistan from reaching major consumption centres in the north. The National Grid Company (NGC), formerly known as the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), has struggled to transfer available electricity from Thar coal, nuclear and wind sources. As a result, the power system relies more heavily on costlier generation from regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) and imported coal, adding to already high electricity tariffs.

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has criticised the proposed 2027 Power Purchase Price reference, calling for accountability over transmission-related inefficiencies. In its response to the Central Power Purchasing Agency’s petition, the business body said consumers should not bear the cost of a transmission network that cannot deliver cheaper electricity despite available generation capacity. The FPCCI also raised concerns about proposed increases in fixed charges, particularly capacity payments. It argued that additional revenue should not be used to sustain disproportionately high salaries, benefits and administrative expenses for senior officials in power sector entities.

The industry body cautioned that a proposed reduction in variable electricity charges could give the impression of lower tariffs while shifting more of the burden onto consumers through higher fixed charges. At a National Electric Power Regulatory Authority hearing on the June 2026 fuel cost adjustment, transmission constraints were reported to have imposed an annual financial burden of more than Rs 400 billion.

Based on the projected generation of 130,081 gigawatt-hours, that burden amounts to an estimated Rs 3.07 per unit, increasing costs for households and businesses.
Generation costs underline the potential savings from improved transmission. In June 2026, the fuel cost of RLNG-based electricity was Rs 35.5087 per unit, compared with Rs 11.4629 for Thar coal and Rs 2.8501 for nuclear power. Replacing RLNG generation with Thar coal could lower fuel costs by about Rs 24 per unit, highlighting the financial impact of transmission constraints that prevent cheaper electricity from reaching consumers.

The Punjab cabinet has unanimously deferred a proposal to cut the commercialisation fee from 20% to 10% of a property’s DC valuation, leaving applicants without immediate relief.
Sources said the fee for declaring a property commercial currently stands at 20% of its DC valuation. In anticipation of the proposed reduction, many property owners had waited for the rate to fall, and several had not paid challans issued for commercialisation cases.

The proposal was deferred amid concerns that the reduction could cause significant losses to the public exchequer. The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) could also face a substantial annual shortfall in commercialisation fee revenue.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Islamabad/Rawalpindi has helped resolve a longstanding dispute over the mining lease for pozzolan in Gaini, Diamer district, Gilgit-Baltistan. NAB said the development secured national resources valued at Rs 123 billion. The Gilgit-Baltistan government has decided to grant a new lease to WAPDA and the Diamer Bhasha Development Company (DBDC). The initiative was taken on the directions of NAB Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Nazir Ahmed.

Pozzolan is a volcanic material that can be blended with cement to produce roller-compacted concrete. According to WAPDA, extraction and transportation of the material from Gaini began on September 25. It will be processed for use in the main structure of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, paving the way for roller-compacted concrete placement at the project site.

NAB’s statement did not specify how the dispute was resolved or how the value of Rs 123 billion was calculated. However, at a meeting on strategic water projects chaired by the prime minister in December 2025, the Gilgit-Baltistan administration was directed to hand over reservoir land in Gaini to WAPDA and cancel leases granted within the reservoir area. The meeting also said that, if required, leases for pozzolan deposits outside the reservoir limits could be considered under the applicable rules, while WAPDA was directed to pay royalties to the Gilgit-Baltistan government in accordance with the law.

The prime minister’s earlier directives also called for preventing any party from interfering in Gaini’s pozzolan-related matters to avoid disruption to material supplies for the Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu projects. According to NAB, resolving the dispute and deciding to grant a new lease has cleared the way for continued mining and supply of pozzolan for the major water project.

Lahore Fort’s historic Akbari Gate has been restored after remaining closed since British rule, paving the way for a new public entrance linking the fort with the Walled City.

Authorities plan to install a ticketing booth before opening the gate for visitors and local residents.
A soft launch ceremony was held to mark the restoration of the gate and the Curator’s House, another historic structure within the fort. The conservation work was carried out under the Heritage and Urban Regeneration: Tourism Development in Lahore Fort and its Buffer Zone (HURL) project. Launched in 2022, the project is supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and implemented by the Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority (PWCA) in partnership with Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCS-P).

PWCA Director General Najmus Saqib said the restored entrance would improve public access to heritage sites, attract tourists and create economic opportunities. Reopening the gate is expected to provide a more direct connection between Lahore Fort and the surrounding Walled City. The Curator’s House, a British-era building that was previously used as a guard room and later for administrative and residential purposes, is set to be converted into an eatery for visitors.

AKCS-P Chief Executive Officer Tausif Khawaja said the conservation work was intended to preserve Lahore’s cultural heritage while supporting local communities and economic activity.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the Shah Allah Ditta Buddha Caves Preservation Project in Islamabad on Wednesday, marking a step towards conserving the historic site and promoting Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage.

After the ceremony, Hamza visited the caves, where Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rehman Gillani briefed him on the project’s completion, features and cost. A documentary on the caves’ history and archaeological significance was also screened, highlighting their association with Buddhist worship and the region’s cultural legacy.

Addressing the gathering, Hamza Shahbaz praised the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture for its efforts to preserve the site. He said Islam teaches respect for other religions, protection of minorities’ rights and safeguarding their places of worship. The project, he added, could improve Pakistan’s international image and make the caves a destination where visitors can learn about the country’s heritage.

Hamza Shahbaz urged the authorities to improve road access to the caves and asked the Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi to pursue a better, more direct route with the relevant departments. Improved connectivity, he said, would make visits easier, support tourism and create jobs and economic opportunities for nearby communities.
He also welcomed the development of commercial activity in the area, saying families should have recreational spaces where they can enjoy the country’s history and natural scenery. Hamza Shahbaz invited diplomats and visitors, particularly from Buddhist countries, to visit the caves and expressed hope that the site would represent religious harmony and mutual respect.

Aurangzeb Khan Khichi thanked Hamza for inaugurating the project and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Buddhist heritage sites across Pakistan. He called on the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation and media organisations to raise awareness of the caves’ historical and religious importance and promote them to local and international visitors.

The ceremony was attended by Federal Minister Rana Mubashar, MNA Anjam Aqeel Khan, former Islamabad deputy mayor Syed Zeeshan Shah, Special Assistants to the Prime Minister Aon Chaudhary and Talha Barki, senior officials, diplomats from Buddhist countries and other guests. At the conclusion, Shah presented Hamza with a souvenir.