Lahore: Punjab is moving toward a major overhaul of regulations governing private housing schemes across the province. The reform package covers digital approvals and NOCs, registration of property dealers, tighter monitoring of housing-scheme advertisements, third-party verification of development costs and stronger action against illegal schemes.
Under the proposed framework, housing schemes would be required to provide access to digital revenue records, while approvals and no-objection certificates from relevant departments would increasingly move to an electronic system. The reforms are intended to make approvals more transparent and easier to monitor.
Property dealers would also come under a formal registration mechanism, while advertisements and marketing of housing schemes would face closer regulatory scrutiny. Existing rules already restrict advertising of unapproved housing schemes, and the new framework seeks to strengthen monitoring and enforcement.
Another significant proposal is third-party verification of development costs, aimed at independently checking expenditure claimed by housing projects. Authorities are also developing a procedure to regularise certain existing illegal or unauthorised housing schemes that can meet prescribed legal requirements, while non-compliant schemes could face penalties and legal action.
Importantly, reporting indicates that the provincial cabinet has approved the broader reform package and amendments, but several measures still depend on formal implementation, notification and enforcement by the relevant development authorities.
