Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has assigned administrative responsibilities at the district level to ensure swift and effective implementation of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s “Model Village Programme.”
Under the plan, the District Officer for Infrastructure and Services has been appointed as the district coordinator in each district, while sub-engineers at the tehsil level will also be given additional responsibilities to strengthen project supervision.
The decision was taken during a meeting held via video link under the chairmanship of Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique. The meeting was attended by Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, Special Secretary Arshad Baig, Shahid Zaman Lak, and district officers for infrastructure and services from across the province.
Addressing the meeting, Zeeshan Rafique said that an effective monitoring mechanism at the district level would help ensure the timely completion of development projects while maintaining the required quality standards.
He said sub-engineers would also be assigned additional coordination duties at the tehsil level to improve oversight and speed up implementation.
The minister directed the Secretary of the Local Government Board to hold regular follow-up meetings with district officers and ensure continuous monitoring of contractors’ performance. He made it clear that no compromise would be allowed on either the quality or pace of any development scheme.
Zeeshan Rafique said that 485 villages across Punjab’s 10 divisions were being transformed into model villages under a master planning framework.
He also directed officials to avoid demolishing already constructed streets wherever possible and to ensure that all projects were completed within the approved timeline.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has formally launched the implementation of digital property certificates across all public and private housing societies to make property transactions safer, more transparent and properly documented.
The initiative has initially been introduced in Lahore. Under the new system, all housing societies have been directed to transfer their property sale, purchase, allotment and ownership records to the Housing Society Management System by August 31, 2026.
According to an official notification, the property certificate will now be recognised as the primary legal document proving ownership of any plot or house. Any property sale, purchase or transfer carried out without the certificate will not have legal validity.
Officials said the new digital system has been integrated with the National Database and Registration Authority’s identity records, Punjab’s e-registration portal and a digital mapping system.
The integration is aimed at reducing forged property documents, double allotments, fake files and ownership disputes, while making property transactions more secure.
The Punjab government has warned the management of all private housing societies that uploading their complete records to the portal within the stipulated period is mandatory.
Housing societies that fail to transfer their records after the deadline may face action under the Lahore Development Authority Act, 1975.
According to the notification, legal measures may include sealing the offices of non-compliant societies, registering cases against their management and taking other action permitted under the law.
A government spokesperson said several major private housing societies in Lahore had already transferred their records to the new digital system.
Housing societies in the remaining districts have also been instructed to complete the process at the earliest and have been warned against further delays.
Property experts believe the new system will make it easier for buyers to verify ownership, reduce the risk of fraud and promote greater transparency in the housing sector through reliable digital records.

Rawalpindi: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Rawalpindi district administration has initiated plans to develop new parking plazas in some of the city's busiest commercial areas, aiming to reduce chronic traffic congestion and improve parking facilities for residents, shoppers and businesses.
The proposed parking facilities are planned for Raja Bazaar, Commercial Market and the Jinnah Park area, where increasing commercial activity and rising vehicle numbers have created persistent parking shortages and traffic bottlenecks.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the District Development Committee, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Capt. (R) Nadeem Nasir, which reviewed the progress of ongoing development schemes and discussed new public infrastructure initiatives across the district.
During the meeting, the deputy commissioner directed assistant commissioners to identify suitable government land for the proposed parking plazas and submit detailed feasibility reports to support future implementation.
In addition to the parking initiative, the district administration instructed officials to identify land for a Sahulat Bazaar and a public park in Taxila and Wah, with the objective of expanding public amenities in the growing urban centres.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of major healthcare projects. The deputy commissioner sought an immediate progress report on the Rawalpindi Mother and Child Hospital and ordered the relevant departments to resolve the water supply issues at the Rawat Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.
To improve access to safe drinking water, the Punjab Saaf Pani Authority was directed to conduct mapping and geo tagging of all functional and non functional water filtration plants across the district.
Officials were further instructed to prepare reports on the condition of urban and rural sports grounds and explore opening school and college playgrounds for public use after school hours. Assistant commissioners were also directed to identify land for at least one modern sports ground in every rural union council.
The Tourism Department was asked to submit a comprehensive report on the proposed Mahota Dam tourism project, while the concerned authorities were directed to prepare cost estimates for the rehabilitation of Chakri Road.
The committee also reviewed civic infrastructure challenges and instructed departments to develop a permanent solution to the sewerage issues at Biscuit Factory Chowk. Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company and the District Council were directed to improve sanitation and waste management services in Union Councils 76 to 79 and continue the beautification of Rehmatabad Graveyard Road.
The deputy commissioner also ordered immediate action to address issues identified at Wah General Hospital and called for a comprehensive plan to improve educational standards, teacher training and transport facilities for special education schools across the district.
Concluding the meeting, Capt. (R) Nadeem Nasir reaffirmed the district administration's commitment to completing development projects on schedule and improving public infrastructure and municipal services throughout Rawalpindi.