Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has formally launched a unique free housing project for the working class, under which 720 labourer families have become owners of their flats. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the project by handing over keys and allotment letters to the workers.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif attended the ceremony held under the Punjab Employees Social Security Institution, PESSI, for the provision of 720 flats. During the ceremony, she was briefed on the free flats project and other ongoing initiatives of the Labour Department.
According to officials, special priority has been given to widows and persons with disabilities in the Sundar Estate Flats Project. A documentary highlighting various programmes of the Punjab Labour Department and welfare measures for workers was also presented during the event.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif handed over allotment letters and keys of the flats to labourers free of cost. Under the widow category, Sonia Pervaiz received the allotment letter and keys of a flat, while hearing impaired Yasir Hanif and polio survivor Farhan Ali were also given allotment letters and keys for free flats.
Similarly, Muhammad Wasif, Shahadat Ali, Abida Ali, Kausar Bibi, senior worker Victor Hector and Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, among other workers, were also given allotment letters and keys. Labourer families appeared visibly delighted after receiving their homes.
Congratulating the worker families on getting their own homes, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said labourers are friends of Allah. “Congratulations on having your own roof, your own home and your own house,” she said. She added that the welfare of the working class remains among the government’s top priorities.
Addressing the ceremony, Provincial Labour Minister Manshaullah Butt said the Punjab Labour Department was once considered an unnoticed department, but in 1988 Muhammad Nawaz Sharif introduced revolutionary measures for labourers. He said having a roof over one’s head is every worker’s dream, and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has turned that dream into reality.
Manshaullah Butt said Maryam Nawaz Sharif is the country’s first chief minister to provide free flats to labourers. He added that the project is not merely about housing for the working class, but also an important step toward dignity, protection and economic security.

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Lahore Development Authority, LDA, has launched a major operation against 6 illegal housing schemes in the city as part of its ongoing campaign against unlawful residential projects, sealing offices and demolishing roads, boundary walls, sewerage systems and other infrastructure.
On the directions of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq, the Directorate of Metropolitan Planning Three carried out action against illegal housing schemes. LDA teams took action against New Amir Town, Lahore Medical City Phase One, Phase Two and Phase Three, and Ghaus Garden Phase Four, demolishing illegal structures and development works.
According to officials, action was also taken against Ali Villas Phase One, New Palm Villas and Abid Garden. LDA teams sealed illegal offices established in these schemes, while unapproved infrastructure, including roads, boundary walls and sewerage systems, was removed with the help of heavy machinery.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Chief Metropolitan Planning officer. The LDA Enforcement Squad and police also took part in the operation to ensure that the action was completed effectively and peacefully.
LDA officials said that, on the instructions of DG LDA Tahir Farooq, operations against illegal housing schemes, unlawful constructions and encroachments are continuing across the city. Citizens have been advised to verify the legal status of any housing scheme from the LDA before investing or purchasing a plot.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has accelerated work under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s Sohna Punjab Programme to provide basic facilities in rural areas and upgrade villages in line with modern civic standards. Under the programme, work is currently underway on 124 development schemes across 342 villages in the province.
An important review meeting on the Sohna Punjab and Chief Minister’s Model Village Programme was held at the Civil Secretariat Lahore under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique. Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmad Mian, Special Secretary Arshad Baig, the CEO of Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company, and other relevant officials attended the meeting. Officials gave a detailed briefing on the progress made so far under the Model Village Programme.
The meeting was informed that 485 villages across Punjab have been selected in the first phase of the Chief Minister’s Model Village Programme, where projects related to basic infrastructure, sanitation, drainage, lighting, and street improvement are being implemented. According to the provincial minister, around 3.9 million people in rural areas will benefit from the completion of the first phase.
Zeeshan Rafique said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved Rs 60 billion for the programme, while additional funds will be allocated in the next fiscal year’s budget to further accelerate rural development. He said work would also begin soon in the remaining villages to provide facilities similar to those available in urban areas.
The provincial minister directed the relevant authorities to ensure both speed and quality in the execution of development projects. He said administrative officers of the concerned districts should regularly visit project sites to ensure timely and high-quality completion of the schemes.
Zeeshan Rafique said the government is making every possible effort to complete the first phase of the Model Village Programme by December 2026. He added that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed that another 7,500 villages be included in the programme, which would open a new chapter of development in Punjab’s rural areas.
He said special focus is being placed on paving village streets, installing streetlights, improving sewerage systems, and restoring traditional water ponds. The provision of sewerage systems, he added, would help create a cleaner environment in villages and improve the quality of life for residents.
The local government minister directed officials to ensure full implementation of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s guidelines. He expressed the hope that the completion of the Model Village Programme would provide significant relief to rural communities in terms of basic facilities and bring Punjab’s villages in line with a new standard of development, cleanliness, and public services.