By Punjab Advocate General (AG) Khalid Ishaq in a report submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan made shocking revelations regarding illegal housing schemes in Punjab.
According to the report, more than 1,100 housing schemes in residential areas across 11 districts of Punjab lack the necessary approvals from the authorities.
The report also highlighted that over 800 residential schemes were built on agricultural land. Surprisingly, 173 out of the total 839 managed to get approval from the relevant authorities. The rest were identified to be completely illegal.
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Out of a total of 2,031 schemes in residential areas across 11 districts of Punjab, only 900 have been officially approved. These revelation were made during the hearing of a case by a three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
In its report, the provincial government admitted the absence of adequate regulation and enforcement regarding private housing schemes, despite existing legal provisions.
The report further acknowledged that political and economic instability pose challenges to investment in the housing sector due to the risks involved.
However, the court was informed that the Punjab chief minister has formed a special cabinet committee on the use of agricultural land for residential/commercial purposes.
