In a report submitted by Punjab Advocate General (AG) to the Supreme Court, it was revealed that more than 1,100 housing schemes in residential areas across Punjab’s 11 districts are illegal.
According to a study conducted by the Project Management Unit of Punjab’s Planning and Development (P&D) Department, 839 housing schemes have been developed on agricultural land in the province.
Of these, only 173 have obtained official approvals, leaving 666 schemes entirely unapproved or illegal. Out of the total 2,031 schemes in residential areas in these 11 districts, only 900 have received proper approval.
The report was submitted by Punjab AG Khalid Ishaq to a three-judge Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
The bench was hearing complaints from customers who invested in plots in the Revenue Employees Cooperative Housing Ltd (RECHS) in Rawalpindi. According to them, they were deprived of their land after the scheme merged with Bahria Town in 2004.
The Punjab government’s report admitted to a regulatory and enforcement gap regarding private housing schemes in the province, despite sufficient legal provisions.
As per the report, political uncertainty and economic instability significantly affect investment in the housing sector.
