LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday launched the online portal for the “Apni Chhat, Mehfooz Chhat” (My Roof, Safe Roof) programme, an initiative conceived in memory of the children who lost their lives in the Kahna roof collapse tragedy, while announcing a substantial reduction in monthly instalments for interest-free housing loans to make the scheme affordable for low-income families.
At the launch ceremony, the chief minister directed the Housing Department to reduce the monthly instalment for the interest-free loan from Rs14,000 to between Rs4,700 and Rs9,300, saying the programme should remain within the financial reach of deserving households.
Under the new initiative, eligible Punjab residents will receive an interest-free loan of Rs500,000 to repair, reinforce and secure unsafe roofs. Families requiring additional living space will also be able to obtain interest-free loans of up to Rs1 million for constructing extra rooms or adding another storey to their homes. Maryam Nawaz appreciated Provincial Housing Minister Bilal Yasin, Housing Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal and their team for developing the project and ensuring a simple application process.
Officials informed the chief minister that applications could be submitted online through acag.punjab.gov.pk or at the offices of deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA). A dedicated helpline (0800-09100) has also been established to facilitate applicants.
The meeting was informed that under the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” programme, 173,158 interest-free loans worth Rs224.457 billion had already been disbursed, enabling thousands of families to own homes.
Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister said a house was far more than a structure of bricks and mortar.”A home represents safety, dignity and protection for a family,” she said.
Recalling the Kahna tragedy, in which 14 children lost their lives after the roof of an under-construction building collapsed, Maryam Nawaz said the incident had deeply affected her. “I could not sleep the entire night after the Kahna tragedy,” she said. “Only parents who have lost a child can truly understand the pain of such a tragedy.” She said she had personally witnessed the grief of the bereaved families and that the tragedy had inspired the provincial government to launch the “Apni Chhat, Mehfooz Chhat” initiative to ensure that no family suffered a similar loss because of an unsafe house. The chief minister noted that increasingly severe weather, including heavy rainfall and windstorms, frequently caused weak roofs and walls to collapse, resulting in avoidable deaths and financial hardship. She said the government’s housing initiatives were designed not only to provide shelter but also to make existing homes structurally safer for vulnerable families. Maryam Nawaz said the “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” programme had received an overwhelming public response and had enabled nearly 200,000 families to move from rented accommodation into homes of their own. Under the new scheme, financially disadvantaged families will be able to strengthen unsafe roofs through interest-free financing, with a Rs500,000 loan repayable over nine years through affordable monthly instalments of Rs4,700.She announced that the Punjab government would bear all processing fees and other associated charges, ensuring that beneficiaries received loans without any additional financial burden.
The chief minister said applicants would only require a valid Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to apply, adding that unnecessary paperwork and complicated procedures had been eliminated to make the programme accessible to ordinary citizens.
She further announced that families sharing a single residence would also be eligible for interest-free loans of up to Rs1 million to construct additional rooms or a second floor, easing overcrowding in joint family homes.
Beneficiaries, she added, would receive a three-month grace period, with loan repayments beginning from the fourth month.
Highlighting the government’s broader housing agenda, Maryam Nawaz said the “Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar” programme had already completed the allotment of 2,000 residential plots, while allottees would also be eligible for interest-free construction loans of up to Rs1.5 million.
She said the Punjab government’s three flagship housing initiatives — “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar”, “Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar” and “Apni Chhat, Mehfooz Chhat” — formed part of a comprehensive strategy to improve housing, enhance public safety and support low-income families across the province.
“From today onwards, no house in Punjab should remain so weak that it destroys an entire family,” the chief minister said, expressing hope that the initiative would provide greater safety, security and peace of mind to citizens throughout the province.
