Punjab Province

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Lahore Development Authority has generated more than Rs 2.11 billion through an open auction of residential and commercial plots held at Expo Centre Johar Town.
According to details, the auction included 58 residential and commercial properties located in different LDA controlled areas of Lahore. The properties offered for bidding included education sites, hospital sites, commercial plots, petrol pump sites, marquee sites and commercial buildings.
The auction attracted strong interest from investors and business groups, particularly for petrol pump sites and commercial properties situated in prime locations.
Among the major transactions, leasehold rights of Plot No 1 B at the Finance and Trade Centre Johar Town petrol pump site were auctioned for Rs 184.5 million. Another petrol pump site in Avenue One Block B received a bid of Rs 85.5 million.
Similarly, Plot No 29 at Civic Centre Quaid e Azam Town, designated as a petrol pump site, was auctioned for Rs 66 million. Plot No C62 to C73 in Block B 3 Gujjarpura also attracted a significant bid of Rs 67.5 million.
Marquee sites at the Finance and Trade Centre Johar Town also received notable interest during the auction. Leasehold rights of Plot No 7 A were auctioned at an annual rent of Rs 46.5 million, while Plot No 7 B fetched an annual rent of Rs 43.5 million.
Among commercial plots, Plot No 24 in Commercial Zone Avenue One was auctioned for Rs 53 million. Commercial plots located in Jubilee Town, Allama Iqbal Town, Sabzazar, Mustafa Town, LDA City, Johar Town and Tajpura also received major bids.
Officials said the auction reflected continued investor confidence in Lahore’s real estate and commercial property market. The revenue generated through the auction is expected to support the authority’s development and urban management initiatives across the city.

Rawalpindi: [ReNews Pakistan]
Work on the Rawalpindi Ring Road project has entered its final phase, with around 85 percent of construction completed, while the PC1 for the Thallian Interchange has also been approved at an estimated cost of PKR 4.8 billion.
According to project details, the total cost of the Rawalpindi Ring Road, including the Thallian Interchange component, has reached PKR 51.4 billion. Officials said the 38.6-kilometre corridor is being developed as a major infrastructure project aimed at improving regional connectivity, reducing traffic pressure within Rawalpindi city, and providing a faster link between key routes around the district.
The project includes important interchanges at Banth, Chak Beli Khan Road, Adiala, and Chakri, where construction work has also reached an advanced stage. Officials associated with the project said that work on the main route and its interchanges is progressing steadily, while around 15 percent of the remaining work is still pending.
The Ring Road is expected to be opened for traffic by mid-June. However, officials confirmed that the road will initially become operational without the Thallian Interchange, which will be completed and opened separately in a later phase.
The Thallian Interchange, along with a two lane motorway link road beyond it, will be developed by the National Highway Authority. The interchange is considered an important component of the overall project as it will provide improved access to the motorway network and strengthen the road’s role as a regional transport corridor.
Sources in the Rawalpindi Development Authority, which is executing the main Ring Road project, said funds required for land acquisition for the Thallian Interchange are already available within the overall project cost. They added that construction activity on the main corridor is being monitored closely to ensure timely completion.
Once completed, the Rawalpindi Ring Road is expected to play a significant role in easing urban congestion, improving goods movement, and supporting future commercial and residential development along the route.

Lahore, Baku | ReNews Pakistan
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Punjab Pavilion during the World Urban Forum held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where the Punjab government’s affordable urban housing project, ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’, received significant international recognition.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif made a detailed visit to the Punjab Pavilion set up at the Urban Expo and inspected various stalls. On the occasion, DG PHATA Zeeshan Sikandar briefed the Chief Minister on the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme and shared details regarding the project’s progress, dashboard, construction phases and beneficiaries.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed pleasure over seeing the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme secure a prominent position in World Innovation. She also took a live virtual tour of the programme through AI gadgets, watched a construction documentary story and reviewed the project dashboard.
At the Punjab Pavilion, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif briefed foreign participants, global delegations and media representatives on the success of Punjab’s affordable urban housing project. She said the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme was very close to her heart, as it was providing loans to the people of Punjab without discrimination to help them build their own homes.
According to the Chief Minister, 600 to 700 houses are being constructed daily under the project, while more than 100,000 homes have been completed in just one year. She said the programme is a practical step towards providing dignified housing to low income and middle class citizens.
A documentary film on the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme was also screened at the Punjab Pavilion, highlighting the happiness and satisfaction of citizens who benefited from the project. Foreign guests and international media appreciated the documentary and paid tribute to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for her public welfare initiatives.
International media, global delegations and representatives from various countries participated actively in the opening ceremony. Participants praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision, the Punjab government’s housing initiatives and the rapid progress of the project.
At the World Urban Forum, the Punjab Pavilion remained a major centre of attention for delegates from around the world, while international media described the record pace of the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme as a role model for developing countries.