Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to further streamline procedures and speed up loan approvals under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme, emphasizing the need to make affordable housing more accessible to deserving citizens across the country.
Chairing a review meeting on the progress of the housing initiative, the prime minister said the strong public response to the scheme was encouraging and demonstrated the growing demand for homeownership opportunities. He noted that continued efforts to improve implementation would help thousands of families achieve the dream of owning a home.
Shehbaz Sharif said the programme’s success would not only address housing needs but also stimulate economic activity by supporting the construction industry and related sectors. He instructed the Ministry of Housing and the State Bank of Pakistan to further simplify application forms and make the process easier for applicants to understand.
The prime minister also directed banks to expedite the approval of eligible applications and ensure timely disbursement of loans. To increase participation, he called for an expanded awareness campaign across the country so that more citizens could benefit from the initiative.
To resolve issues related to land ownership documentation, Shehbaz Sharif instructed provincial governments to establish dedicated facilitation desks at the district level to assist applicants under the scheme.
Officials informed the meeting that loans worth Rs11 billion had been disbursed so far. A total of 67,900 applications have been received nationwide, of which 16,587 have been approved. More than 3,100 beneficiaries have already received loan payments.
The meeting was also told that the State Bank of Pakistan has made it mandatory for banks to process applications within 15 days. Officials said recent legal reforms, including condominium and financial institution recovery laws, are expected to remove hurdles in the housing sector and encourage further investment.
A dedicated digital portal has also been launched to monitor the implementation and progress of the Apna Ghar Scheme across the country.