Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has described the “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” programme as a bold initiative aimed at bringing real change to public lives, saying that progress is never achieved through fear or hesitation, but through courage, vision and practical action.
Addressing a forum on urban development and sustainable future in Baku, the Punjab Chief Minister said every leader must understand that progress is never timid, and that courage is what creates real change. She said the success and impact of any government are not measured by speeches, but by the changed lives of the people.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar” programme is a practical expression of this people-centred vision, designed to provide dignified housing facilities to low income and middle class citizens so that ordinary families can move away from the burden of rent and uncertain living conditions and become homeowners.
The Punjab Chief Minister said they were taking a shared message from Baku that safe, resilient and sustainable cities are not privileges, but an equal and fundamental right of all humanity. According to her, the provision of housing, civic facilities and a secure environment are areas of public welfare that directly affect citizens’ daily lives.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore High Court has ruled that super tax under Section 4C of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, cannot be imposed on capital gains arising from inherited immovable property where the applicable capital gains tax rate is zero percent.
According to media reports, a two member bench comprising Justice Jawad Hassan and Justice Sardar Akbar Ali announced the verdict in an income tax reference involving the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue and tax authorities. The court set aside a super tax demand of PKR 114.7 million raised on the sale of inherited property that had been held since 1980.
The matter related to tax year 2024, when the taxpayer declared income exceeding PKR 1.14 billion from the sale of inherited immovable property. The tax return was treated as finalised under the Income Tax Ordinance. However, tax authorities later initiated proceedings under Section 4C and imposed super tax through an order issued on February 28, 2025.
The taxpayer challenged the levy before the tribunal, arguing that the property had been inherited and held for more than six years. On this basis, the gain was subject to a zero percent tax rate under Section 37(1A) of the ordinance. The taxpayer’s counsel argued that where no income tax liability existed, super tax could not be imposed.
The counsel further maintained that applying super tax on income taxed at a nil rate would effectively amount to indirectly taxing income that the law had already treated at zero percent.
Tax authorities defended the levy and argued that Section 4C operated independently. They contended that super tax applied to high income individuals regardless of the source of income. According to the department, capital gains taxed at zero percent still formed part of taxable income and therefore attracted super tax.
The bench rejected this position and observed that fiscal laws must be interpreted strictly. The court held that taxes cannot be imposed through implication or administrative interpretation.
The Lahore High Court further ruled that Section 37(1A) created a special statutory regime for gains arising from immovable property. Once the legislature had prescribed a zero percent tax rate for such gains, no tax liability remained for the purpose of imposing super tax.
The decision is being viewed as an important ruling for taxpayers dealing with inherited immovable property, particularly in cases where capital gains fall under the zero percent tax regime due to the holding period prescribed under the law.

Lahore: [Riaz Hussain ReNews Pakistan]
The Lahore Development Authority has continued its initiative to provide residential and commercial plots to citizens on easy installments under the directions of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq. As part of this process, the fifth computerized balloting of LDA’s residential and commercial plots was held at the LDA Sports Complex in Johar Town.
The balloting included fully developed residential and commercial plots located in Johar Town, LDA City, Allama Iqbal Town and LDA Enclave Mohlanwal. According to the LDA, successful applicants will pay for the plots through 12 equal installments over a period of three years.
The plots offered in the balloting included 4 marla commercial plots in LDA City Business Bay Block, 2 to 2.5 marla commercial plots in Johar Town Blocks M, N and F1, 3.11 marla commercial plots in the Fruit Market of Allama Iqbal Town, 3.5 marla residential plots in Johar Town Block R1 and 3 marla residential plots in Block D of LDA Enclave Mohlanwal.
LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said the authority is providing plots located in its schemes to citizens on easy installments over three years. He said the initiative offers citizens a valuable opportunity to acquire fully developed residential and commercial plots on convenient terms. He added that the LDA would soon bring more plots to the market on easy installments.
According to the LDA, a total of 3,341 applications were received to participate in the balloting for 126 residential and commercial plots. The authority received 279 applications for 12 commercial plots in Allama Iqbal Town, 523 applications for 29 commercial plots in Johar Town and 692 applications for 33 residential plots in Johar Town.
Similarly, 688 applications were received for 22 commercial plots in LDA City Business Bay, while 1,159 applications were submitted for 30 residential plots in LDA Enclave Mohlanwal. The balloting was conducted through a computerized system with the support of the Punjab Information Technology Board.
A large number of citizens attended the ceremony, while chief town planners, the chief IT officer, directors of housing and other relevant officials were also present.