National Real Estate News

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has ruled that permission to commercialise a residential plot does not, by itself, authorise construction or structural changes without approval from the relevant authority.

A two-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Riazat Ali Sahar, directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to determine whether construction on a 1,000-square-yard plot in Block D, North Nazimabad, complied with the law. The authority must examine the property’s building plan, any later approvals, the no-objection certificate (NOC) for change of land use and any revised or amended plans. It must issue a reasoned order within 60 days and take lawful action if unauthorised construction is established.

The petition was filed in 2017 by a man who alleged that his elder brother had carried out additional construction, including two showrooms, in violation of the approved plan. He argued that the NOC for commercialisation was conditional and did not permit construction that departed from the sanctioned building plan. In its comments, the SBCA said the property’s original plan, approved in 1974, was for a ground-plus-one-floor residential bungalow. Permission to operate a restaurant was granted in 1998, while the City District Government Karachi issued an NOC for commercialisation or change of land use in 2006.

The authority said additions and alterations began in 2017, prompting it to issue a show-cause notice to the owner. The owner responded that the property had already been permitted for commercial use. In his counter-affidavit, he also said the petitioner was his younger brother and that the petition stemmed from disputes over the restaurant business and a separate lawsuit concerning ownership and business interests. The bench noted that a court nazir inspected the property in 2018. The report described a ground-plus-one-storey building with shops on the ground floor and a restaurant, which was non-functional and in a dilapidated condition. The SBCA officials produced a proposed layout showing a residential bungalow, but no approved layout authorising commercial use or division of the plot into shops, the report stated.

The court referred to Section 6(1) of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979, which required approval of a building plan and the necessary NOC before construction. It also noted that Section 7-A empowered the competent authority to order the demolition of construction carried out in violation of Section 6(1), alongside other action permitted by law.
Citing Supreme Court rulings, the bench said the power to regularise deviations was limited and could not be used to validate violations that materially changed a proposed structure or harmed the rights and interests of others. It also highlighted the need to consider civic facilities, including water, electricity and sewerage, when reviewing the conversion of residential properties and approving construction.

The bench observed that the constitutional right to life under Article 9 extends beyond mere existence to include the conditions needed to live with dignity, including a healthy environment. Public authorities, it said, are required to enforce the law where unauthorised development affects civic or environmental rights.
The court added that the dispute over the brothers’ interests in the restaurant did not settle the separate question of whether construction had been carried out lawfully. The owner’s commercialisation NOC could not be treated as blanket approval for every structural change without examining its terms and the relevant building approvals.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved the Karachi Port to Qayyumabad corridor, a 16.5-kilometre, four-lane expressway to be developed through a public-private partnership.

The approval was granted at the 53rd meeting of the Public-Private Partnership Policy Board, chaired by the chief minister. The corridor will connect Shahrah-e-Bhutto Expressway to the East Wharf of Karachi Port, with controlled access along the route. The project will be delivered on a design, finance, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer basis. Its 27.5-year contract period will include 2.5 years for construction, followed by 25 years of operation and maintenance.

Officials also discussed a proposal to introduce an Infrastructure Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in place of Class A equity in the project company. Matters concerning the Karachi Port Trust licence agreement and the issuance of a final no-objection certificate were also taken up. The board separately approved works to protect riverbanks along Shahrah-e-Bhutto Expressway. These include underwater protective embankments, an additional loop and ramp at Memon Goth Interchange No. 5, and the installation of street lights.

The Punjab Cabinet has approved Rs 3.7965 billion in funds for the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) on the recommendation of the housing secretary.
Under WASA Phase III, the agency will purchase modern machinery, including high-pressure jetting machines to clear and restore blocked sewer lines. Suction and desilting equipment will also be acquired to remove waste from the sewerage network.

Dewatering pumps and mobile drainage machinery will be added to WASA’s fleet to help drain rainwater promptly. The procurement plan also includes water pumps and other mechanical equipment to improve the supply of drinking water to residents.

The government said the funding aims to modernise Lahore’s sewerage, drainage and water supply systems and improve municipal services for residents.

Construction of the Margalla Avenue extension, planned to connect N-5 with the M-1 Motorway, is progressing, with 35% of the project completed, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said on November 9. During a visit to the site, CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf reviewed the work and said the road would improve regional connectivity. Once complete, it is expected to make travel from Islamabad to cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Abbottabad and Mansehra, more direct.

The CDA section spans approximately 2.7 kilometres, running from GT Road to the vicinity of Sangjani Grid Station. It will connect with a further 2.5-kilometre stretch being built by the National Highway Authority (NHA) within Rawalpindi’s jurisdiction. Together, the sections are intended to link the route to the M-1 Motorway.

According to the CDA, construction is underway at multiple locations on a round-the-clock basis. Work includes widening and extending the main carriageway and developing a service road. The extension is expected to improve motorway access for northern Islamabad and strengthen road connections between the federal capital and neighbouring areas. The project is part of ongoing road infrastructure development aimed at improving mobility for commuters travelling between major urban centres.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is preparing to seal the offices of 40 housing societies it has identified as illegal, with the operation expected to begin within the next week.
The CDA’s Planning Wing issued sealing notices to the societies on August 21, but the orders had not been carried out by November 10. In a letter dated October 23, a senior Planning Wing official directed the Enforcement Directorate to coordinate with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and Islamabad Police to facilitate the operation.

The letter expressed concern that the marketing and site offices remained open despite the passage of more than two months. It also said some sponsors were reportedly using the delay to seek court stay orders. The Planning Wing instructed its deputy directors to implement the sealing orders promptly with the Enforcement Directorate’s assistance. The official warned that failure to act could result in disciplinary proceedings under the CDA Employees Service Regulations. An Enforcement Directorate official attributed the delay, in part, to anti-encroachment operations being conducted in other parts of Islamabad.

Small investors have also called for action against CDA officials who allegedly approved layout plans despite the societies’ failure to meet required conditions. Investors say some sponsors continued selling plot files for years without undertaking development work and while violating CDA regulations.
The CDA’s planned operation concerns the societies’ offices; the authority has not announced further details about the schedule or the steps to be taken against the schemes themselves.

Construction work on the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project was suspended after a rock mass collapsed during excavation on Monday, allowing water from the dam’s intake pit to surge into a connecting tunnel and the under-construction powerhouse.

WAPDA said the incident occurred during excavation of the second bench of the connecting tunnel. Workers were evacuated, the intake pit was drained and dewatering began at the powerhouse. Haripur Deputy Commissioner Waseem Ahmed said one worker was swept away by the water but rescued. No deaths were reported. WAPDA said the main Tunnel 5, powerhouse, tailrace culvert, and switchyard had not been damaged; project officials, the engineer, and the contractor were assessing the site.

District administration reports described the construction suspension as indefinite. WAPDA’s statement said teams were assessing the situation but did not give a date for work to resume. The authority also rejected reports that the main tunnel had collapsed, saying the water entered work areas after the rock failure during excavation. The project is being built around Tarbela Dam’s existing Tunnel 5, originally constructed for irrigation releases. Its scope includes converting the tunnel for hydropower, building a powerhouse and installing three generating units. Once complete, the extension is intended to add 1,530 megawatts to Tarbela’s installed generation capacity.

Land issues form a separate part of the wider project. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank says the project includes a transmission line and that WAPDA and the National Grid Company prepared a land acquisition and resettlement framework, including plans for the transmission route and a new grid station. The framework relates to the project’s power evacuation infrastructure; available reports have not linked land acquisition to Monday’s rock collapse. The latest incident follows an earlier construction setback: the downstream cofferdam collapsed in August 2025. A government inquiry reported in July held WAPDA, the contractor and the consultant responsible, citing post-contract design changes among the causes. The media reported that the earlier collapse contributed to the project’s cost rising from Rs 82 billion to Rs 317 billion and pushed the completion target to the end of June 2028. The latest rock collapse is a separate incident; its cause and effect on the schedule remain under assessment.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced the launch of the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) Blind Dolphin Resort at Taunsa Barrage in Kot Addu. The 120-kanal facility sits along the River Indus and is intended to give visitors a chance to experience the area’s landscape and, when dolphins are visible, observe the rare Indus blind dolphin in its natural habitat.

Maryam described the resort as an eco-friendly destination developed to tourism standards. She said it brings together hospitality services, terrace views and dining, alongside a commitment to wildlife conservation. The announcement did not give details about visitor opening dates, operating hours, booking arrangements or charges.

The site’s land history predates the launch announcement. In November 2020, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported that TDCP was in the process of acquiring 120 kanals near Taunsa Barrage for a proposed tourism project estimated at Rs 100 million. Plans outlined at the time included camping, huts, food and shopping facilities, and a blind-dolphin viewing point.

In May 2022, another APP report said an eco-tourism and culture project was under way at Taunsa Barrage on 120 kanals, with an estimated cost of Rs 118 million. Planned facilities included a gazebo, restaurant, boat-parking area, dolphin point and lake. These earlier reports trace the land and project planning behind the resort announced this month, but do not establish when the acquisition was completed or the final cost of the facility now launched. The site is in an area associated with the Indus dolphin. The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department lists the Indus blind dolphin as critically endangered and says it inhabits the Indus and its tributaries. The department also lists Taunsa Barrage as a wildlife sanctuary.

The resort’s success will depend on how visitor facilities are managed alongside protection of the river habitat. The chief minister has presented wildlife conservation as part of the project, while the department’s conservation information underscores the sensitivity of the species and its habitat.

The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has handed over an apartment in Rawalpindi to provide accommodation for minority students. Located on Seventh Road, the apartment will house 12 students, who will receive free accommodation and all essential facilities, according to the board.

ETPB Secretary Nasir Mushtaq handed over the keys to the students on the instructions of Chairman Qamar-uz-Zaman. Rawalpindi Administrator Yasir Asghar Monga was also present. Mushtaq said the initiative aims to ease the housing difficulties students face during their studies and give them a better environment in which to focus on their education.

The board said the welfare of minority communities, educational development and provision of basic facilities were among its priorities. The Ministry of Religious Affairs says the ETPB was established in 1960 to oversee evacuee properties linked to religious, charitable and educational trusts. The board had earlier approved Rs 5 million for the Baba Guru Nanak Scholarship Programme for Hindu and Sikh students. Under the programme, eligible students receive a monthly scholarship of Rs 10,000, according to the board.

The Punjab government has linked payment of the garbage tax, also known as the sanitation fee, to the issuance of a no-objection certificate (NOC) required for property transactions. Owners with outstanding dues will not be issued an NOC to sell or transfer their property, potentially halting the transaction.

Excise officials said bill distribution began across Punjab, including Lahore, on September 1, with around 1.4 million bills delivered so far. More than Rs 24 million has been collected over the past two months. The distribution of the remaining first-quarter bills is under way, while second-quarter bills are scheduled to be issued from January 1.

Punjab has around five million property units. According to officials, nearly 20 per cent are located in housing societies and towns where administrations already charge residents for sanitation and waste collection. These areas will be exempt from the government’s garbage tax. Residents can also obtain their bills online by entering their property number on the Excise Department’s website. Reports say the sanitation fee varies according to a property’s use and size.

The monthly charge for residential properties is Rs 300 for plots of up to five marlas, Rs 500 for five to 10 marlas, Rs 1,000 for 10 to 20 marlas, Rs 2,000 for 20 to 40 marlas and Rs 5,000 for properties larger than 40 marlas. Commercial properties are charged between Rs 500 and Rs 3,000 a month, depending on the size of the business. Previously, property owners generally had to clear their property tax dues to obtain an NOC. Under the new requirement, they must also pay any applicable sanitation fee before seeking clearance. The government says the fee will support the province’s cleanliness programme.