Pakistan unveils first national housing policy in nearly 25 yearsPakistan

Addressing the ceremony, Housing Minister Pirzada stressed the importance of translating the policy into tangible results. He said its objectives included increasing the supply of affordable housing, enhancing land tenure security, expanding access to housing finance and upgrading informal settlements.

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Masood Malik said the country needed around 500,000 houses annually but only about 300,000 were being built, adding that around 10 to 12.5 million people were currently living without adequate shelter. He said the policy had been framed to address the shortage of housing finance, noting that banks provided only a small proportion of the financing required for house purchases in Pakistan.

Under the ‘Apna Ghar’ financing scheme, he said, an applicant would contribute 10 per cent of the cost while banks would provide 90 per cent financing at a fixed rate of 5 per cent for 10 years. According to the minister, a loan of Rs2.5 million would carry a monthly instalment of around Rs16,500, while a Rs5 million loan would entail an instalment of around Rs30,000 to Rs31,000. ‘The idea is that if you are paying Rs16,000 to Rs30,000 in rent throughout your life, you should now be able to use that amount to own your own house,’ he said.

The minister said the policy also aimed to protect low-income settlements, particularly those where families had lived for generations, from demolition. He described the government’s new housing finance policy as comparatively more supportive than similar initiatives in neighbouring countries, with up to 90 per cent financing support significantly improving access to home ownership for low- and middle-income groups.

Pirzada also highlighted the Wazir-i-Azam Apna Ghar Programme, the prime minister’s flagship initiative, under which Rs65 billion had so far been disbursed to first-time home buyers across the country. He said the prime minister was personally monitoring its implementation as a key part of the policy’s action plan.

Speaking on ‘Adequate Housing for All — From Global Commitment to National Action’, UN-Habitat Pakistan’s Country Programme Manager Waqar Syed said adequate housing was more than a roof over one’s head. He said it was a foundation for dignity, opportunity and resilient communities, adding that UN-Habitat remained committed to supporting the government in strengthening institutions and advancing housing solutions that leave no one behind.