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.

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Lahore Development Authority has allotted plot numbers to successful applicants under its easy installment programme following the completion of the fifth computerized balloting process.
According to the LDA, the initiative is part of an ongoing programme launched on the instructions of Director General Tahir Farooq to provide residential and commercial plots to citizens through affordable payment plans.
Successful applicants from the balloting held on May 18 were allotted plot numbers in Johar Town, LDA City, Allama Iqbal Town and LDA Enclave.
The plots included four marla commercial plots in the Business Bay Block of LDA City, commercial plots ranging from two to 5.2 marlas in Blocks M, N and F One of Johar Town, 3.11 marla commercial plots in the Fruit and Vegetable Market of Allama Iqbal Town, 3.5 marla residential plots in Johar Town Block R One and three marla residential plots in Block D of LDA Enclave.
The computerized balloting was conducted by the Punjab Information Technology Board through a pseudocode based system. The LDA said the process was designed to ensure transparency, fairness and equal opportunity for all applicants.
Director General LDA Tahir Farooq congratulated the successful applicants and said the authority was continuing to offer additional plots in its housing schemes through three year installment plans.
He said the initiative was intended to enable more citizens to acquire plots for residential and commercial purposes through an affordable and structured payment mechanism.
Successful applicants can check their allotted plot numbers through the official LDA website.
The computerized balloting ceremony was held at the LDA Sports Complex in Johar Town and was attended by a large number of citizens.
The Chief Information Technology Officer, Director Auction, Directors Housing, Director Town Planning and other senior LDA officials were also present at the event.