ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the chief secretaries of the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan to conduct a comprehensive survey of properties that could qualify for bank financing under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme.
The directive was issued during a review meeting on the Access to Finance Plan 2026-28 in Islamabad, where the government examined measures aimed at expanding access to housing finance and improving the process of connecting approved borrowers with eligible properties.
Islamabad Selected for Mortgage-Eligible Plot Pilot
A key proposal discussed during the meeting is the development of a system to identify plots that meet mortgage-financing requirements. Islamabad has been selected as the pilot location for the initiative.
Under the proposed system, eligible properties would be identified and recorded through a structured survey before the approach is potentially expanded to other parts of the country.
The initiative could help address one of the practical challenges faced by housing-finance applicants: finding a specific property that satisfies the requirements of the financing programme and the lending institution.
Government Plans Greater Developer Participation
The government is also working on a separate mechanism to bring established housing developers into the Apna Ghar programme.
The proposed arrangement could create a more direct connection between participating developers and borrowers who receive financing approval. However, details regarding developer eligibility, property standards and how approved inventory would be matched with borrowers have not yet been announced.
Apna Ghar Financing Figures
The meeting was informed that the Apna Ghar Scheme has received 147,504 applications, with 53,127 applications approved for financing worth approximately Rs. 313.42 billion.
Actual disbursements have so far reached around Rs. 45.43 billion for 8,739 applicants, showing a substantial difference between approved financing and funds actually released.
The planned property survey and mortgage-eligible plot system could potentially help address some of the practical steps between financing approval and final disbursement, although its actual impact will depend on how the system is implemented.
Initiative Part of Wider Access to Finance Plan
The housing measures were discussed as part of the broader Access to Finance Plan 2026-28, which also covers financing for agriculture and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Bank lending to the agricultural sector was reported at Rs. 1.268 trillion as of August 2026, against a target of Rs. 2 trillion by June 2028. SME lending stood at approximately Rs. 1.067 trillion against the same Rs. 2 trillion target.
Timeline for Pilot Yet to Be Announced
The government has not provided a specific timeline for completing the Islamabad pilot or expanding the mortgage-eligible property system nationwide.
Likewise, the framework for developer participation remains under development. Further details on property eligibility, verification procedures and the role of participating housing projects will be important in determining how the initiative works for borrowers and the property sector.
For prospective Apna Ghar applicants, the proposed system could eventually make it easier to identify properties compatible with housing finance. Until the new mechanism is formally implemented, however, borrowers should continue to follow the existing eligibility and documentation requirements of the relevant financing programme and bank.
