Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has expressed serious concerns over the state of the real estate sector in the province, revealing that more than 5,000 housing societies are either illegal or pending official approval.

During a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, it was disclosed that Punjab has a total of 7,905 housing societies. Out of these, only 2,687 have received official approval, while 5,118 remain either unauthorized or under review. In Lahore alone, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) oversees 707 housing schemes—427 are approved, and 206 are classified as illegal.

The meeting considered offering a one-time amnesty to illegal housing schemes and decided to form a high-level committee to devise a regularization framework. Additionally, the government plans to launch an online system for the approval, management, and transfer of housing societies. This system will include online payment for NOC fees and digital document submission. Unnecessary NOCs required for registration will be eliminated to simplify the process.

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Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz strongly criticized both government agencies and private developers for their roles in allowing illegal schemes to flourish, emphasizing that poor citizens often lose money without receiving plots. She questioned the inaction of relevant departments during the expansion of these unapproved schemes and stressed the need to safeguard the interests of ordinary buyers. She also indicated that the government will consider a one-time amnesty policy in accordance with existing rules and regulations.