Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz orders elimination of unnecessary NOCs required for housing society registration
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-May 31, 2025) The Punjab government on Saturday decided to regularize illegal housing societies across the province.
The decision was taken during a high-level special meeting on the housing sector chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The meeting focused on developing a mechanism for regularizing illegal housing societies, streamlining regulations, and introducing digital solutions.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered the elimination of unnecessary NOCs required for housing society registration, directing that the process be made simpler and more effective for public convenience.
It was also agreed to form a high-level committee to oversee the regularization of illegal housing schemes. Maryam Nawaz stressed that the issue of such societies should be resolved in accordance with the law as soon as possible to provide relief to the people.
The meeting decided that, for the first time in Punjab, the housing sector would be fully digitized. A "Housing Society Management System" will be introduced, enabling the approval, management, and transfer processes of societies to be conducted entirely online. Document uploads and NOC fee payments will also be facilitated digitally.
The new system aims to make the development and management of housing societies foolproof and ensure the safe buying and selling of plots for the public.
The CM condemned the exploitation of citizens, stating, "It is unjust to take money from poor people and not give them plots. Some government departments are equally responsible for the creation of these illegal societies." She added, “These schemes came into existence due to collusion, and it is the common man who suffers. Why were the relevant authorities silent when these illegal housing societies were being established?”
Maryam Nawaz emphasized that existing housing schemes should be given a one-time amnesty under defined rules and regulations to resolve the issue permanently.
During the briefing, it was revealed that there are a total of 7,905 housing societies in Punjab, spread over approximately 2 million kanals of land. Out of these, 2,687 societies are approved, while 5,118 are either illegal or in the process of obtaining approval.
Under the jurisdiction of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), there are 707 housing schemes, of which 427 are approved, 206 are illegal, and 74 are under review.
