SAHIWAL: The fate of the 46 private housing societies in the city hangs in balance as their owners await the final decision by the the Local Government and Community Development (LG&CD) secretary about their legal status, because of non-compliance with the rules.

Earlier, Sahiwal Municipal Corporation (MC) had rejected their cases for approval, directing the owners to file their appeals before the LG&CD secretary for final approval.

Besides, the MC had imposed a ban on the sale and purchase of commercial or residential plots in these schemes, prohibiting any form of printed or electronic advertising in this regard.

Commissioner Dr Asif Tufail, who is also MC administrator, told Dawn the decision was made after repeated violations of various sections of the Punjab Private Housing Schemes and Land Sub-Division Rules, 2022, by the owners of these schemes.

Owners await decision by LG&CD secretary

The secretary had appointed LG&CD Special Secretary Arshad Baig for hearing the owners’ appeals.

Commissioner says that cases of these 46 societies had been under process for around last one decade, but their owners could not fulfill the legal requirements for their approval as residential colonies.

He says that corporation officers concerned had repeatedly been directing the owners of these schemes to comply with the rules, like obtaining different NOCs, allocating proper spaces for mosques, parks and roads, but they ignored the warnings.

“In this background, the MC had decided to reject cases for approval of 46 housing societies falling within its jurisdiction,” says MC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shaikh Ashfaq.

A flex displayed at the commissioner’s office carries details of the 46 schemes.

As per the MC letters, most of the schemes were found violating rules 4, 6(2), 6(4), 7(1), 7(3)(b), 7(3)(b)(i)(h), 10(a) and 42 of the law.

Official sources say some of the housing schemes’ cases had been pending since 2014–15, while others were initiated as recently as 2023-2024.

On the other hand, many owners, Dawn spoke to, claimed that the documents, including NOCs, they had submitted were in line with the directions of the MC officers concerned serving between 2014 and 2025.

They claimed that despite submission of all necessary NOCs, conversion fee receipts, maps and development charges documents etc, with the MC, their cases were dismissed.

They say that they had invested billions of rupees in the schemes and even paid “kickbacks” to officials in line departments, but approvals were delayed under various pretexts.

One of the owners apprehend that the cancellation will again open a “Pandora’s box of new NOCs, certificates and kickbacks”.

Some of them, seeking anonymity, said that instead of outright rejection, the MC should have established a facilitation centre to guide the society owners with regard to completion of the legal processes and documentation.

Responding to these objections, the MC CEO clarified, “Each society was at a different stage of documentation, so every case was treated individually as per law and legal requirement.”

He says that before issuing the rejection letters, the MC had summoned the owners and held in-camera personal hearings. They were informed about the legal requirements for the approval of their cases to avoid allegations of “unilateral action” by the MC, he said.

However, he said, instead of fulfilling the legal requirements and obtaining the NOCs, the owners kept ignoring the MC’s instructions and continued sale and purchase of plots.

Later, on the commissioner’s direction, rejection letters were issues to each owner individually. The societies whose cases were rejected include: Supreme Village, Sehwan City (85/6-R), Mustafa Block, Hassan Villas, Sahiwal Garden, Fasil Orchard Phase II, Regal City, Ali Haris Block, Abdullah Block, Awais Block, Hadi Block, Azafi Abadi, Hussain Block, Sikander City, Ibrahim Garden, S S Garden, Al-Qasim City, Al-Asar Avenue, Al-Karim Garden (82/6-R), Supreme Housing Block, Koh-e-Noor City, Rashid Block, Amina City, Al-Shaikh Block, Kuba Block, Mehdi Block, Marrian City, Jatala Avenue, Al-Mustafa Garden, Al-Haram City Phase III (85/6-R), Ali Ahmed Block, Al Haram City Phase II, Jinnah Orchard (95/6-R), Khayaban-e-Ashraf, Jinnah Town, Zohan Villas, Rahim City Phase II, Haider Block, HS Block, Fasil Orchard, Elite Garden, Zain Block, Manzoor Villas (93/6-R), Global Villas Phase I, and Global Villas Phase II (86/6-R).

Sources says that the LG&CD special secretary had begun the hearings of the appeals since April 13, 2026, while the owners of all 46 housing societies submitted their replies, including reports, comments and records etc, either personally or through their lawyers.

In the first phase of the hearings, 32 owners were called, while the remaining 14 were called in the second phase.

The MC CEO confirmed that all hearings had been completed and now final decision by the department’s secretary is awaited.

Earlier, 28 housing societies falling within the limits of Sahiwal Zial Council were declared illegal by the deputy commissioner.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2026