Lahore: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq has announced that the unplanned commercial use of agricultural lands near urban areas will be regularised, as reported on October 1.
As per details, he emphasised that schemes launched without proper master plans lead to administrative and environmental challenges, which must be addressed. Chairing a special committee meeting on Monday, the minister confirmed that new legislation will be introduced to ensure transparency in commercial schemes. The meeting, which was held to discuss the regularisation of agricultural land for commercial use, was attended by Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, senior officials including Board of Revenue member Nabeel Javed, Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian, representatives from the real estate sector, and other concerned authorities.
During the session, proposals were considered to regulate the commercial use of agricultural land and establish a provincial authority responsible for approving master plans for housing schemes. Minister Rafiq highlighted the need for a centralised provincial authority to prevent confusion caused by multiple departments managing the same tasks. He stressed the importance of providing all necessary services to citizens and developers from a unified platform while ensuring that illegal housing schemes are avoided.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Kirmani supported the initiative, noting that the establishment of a provincial authority would enhance transparency and boost public confidence in the real estate sector. The real estate representatives also welcomed the government’s efforts, assuring their full support in this people-centric initiative led by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
The Senior Member of the Board of Revenue briefed the meeting on the procedures for property transfer, further contributing to the discussions on creating a streamlined and transparent process.
