Maryam Nawaz receives UN-Habitat award for ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ scheme

MUSCAT: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif received the 2026 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award on Monday for the province’s flagship “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” housing programme, which aims to expand access to safe and affordable housing for low-income families.

The award was presented at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Muscat during the global observance of World Habitat Day.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) recognised the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA) and its housing programme for their contribution to expanding access to adequate, safe and affordable housing for low-income households.

The selection followed a competitive process based on established criteria for nominations from around the world.

After receiving the award, Maryam Nawaz said that the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” programme had become an identity of Punjab and Pakistan, describing it as a ray of hope for low-income families.

She said that more than 200,000 people had received loans under the programme and pledged that the provincial government would achieve its target of constructing 500,000 houses within five years.

“Safe, dignified and quality housing is a basic right of every citizen and they will certainly get it,” Maryam said, reiterating her government’s commitment to providing a roof to every deserving family.

According to official figures, interest-free loans worth Rs259.68 billion had been disbursed to 200,072 applicants across Punjab as of September 10, 2026.

The programme provides interest-free financing to eligible low-income families to help them construct homes on land they already own.

The initiative has been promoted by the Punjab government as a means of improving access to home ownership among families unable to obtain conventional housing finance.

The UN-Habitat recognition had been formally announced in September, when the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency was informed that its programme had been selected for the 2026 Scroll of Honour.

UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Marinheiro Centeno Rossbach said the agency and its programme were being recognised for their contribution to adequate, safe and affordable housing for low-income households.

The Scroll of Honour is one of UN-Habitat’s major recognitions for contributions to adequate housing, sustainable urban development and improved living conditions.

The 2026 awards were presented as part of the World Habitat Day programme in Muscat.

The award ceremony was followed by a series of workshops and events in Muscat focused on exchanging knowledge and experience in housing and urban development.

The Punjab government’s international recognition comes as it continues to expand the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” programme and promote it as a key component of its housing policy for low-income households.