Apni Chhat Apna Ghar: Maryam Nawaz makes history with global recognition

A home is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by Allah Almighty. Its true value is best understood by those who do not have a home of their own or have spent years paying rent. Providing a roof to a homeless, deserving and underprivileged person is also a special blessing from Allah. The opportunity to serve one’s people and help them secure a home of their own is not granted to everyone. The true significance of owning a home can only be understood through the emotions of a person who has lived without one or spent years in rented accommodation. Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz has turned this dream into reality for thousands of deserving and homeless families.

Within just one and a half years, Maryam Nawaz has succeeded in providing 214,330 homes to deserving people across Punjab. Of these, 120,753 beneficiaries have completed their homes, while another 60,464 houses are under construction. So far, Rs278.461 billion in interest-free loans have been disbursed under the programme. The initiative was particularly close to Maryam Nawaz’s heart because it was also a dream of former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif: to enable ordinary people to own homes of their own. Maryam Nawaz has transformed that dream into reality. These homes are not merely figures on paper; they are a visible reality on the ground. A dedicated website has been developed for the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme, providing real-time information about the locations of the houses. The number of completed and ongoing houses, as well as the amount of loans disbursed, is updated daily. The greatest evidence of the programme’s transparency is the complete absence of political interference. The entire process is online. Applicants seeking interest-free loans submit their information through the website, following which the relevant institution conducts a thorough verification before approving applications.

Citizens are not required to visit government offices or make repeated rounds of departments. They can apply from the comfort of their homes and receive assistance through a transparent digital process. In the programme’s early days, many beneficiaries were astonished when their loans were approved without their having to visit a government office. They wondered how such substantial relief could reach them while they remained at home. There was no comparable precedent for providing such large-scale relief to thousands of people through a completely digital and accessible mechanism. Today, more than 200,000 homes are being built across Punjab, and beneficiaries are expressing their gratitude to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

It is precisely because of the initiative’s success that the United Nations recognised the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme with a global award. The award recognises five major programmes from around the world, and the Punjab government’s housing initiative secured the top position. The award ceremony was held in Muscat, Oman, where Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was invited to the stage and presented with the award. The international recognition was a tribute to her vision and the programme’s success. This is not merely an award for the Punjab government; it is a matter of pride for the 140 million people of Punjab. For Pakistan, it is also a moment of great pride that a Pakistani politician and chief minister has received such significant international recognition for a public welfare initiative. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s political history also contains examples of promises that never materialised. A political party once promised to provide 500,000 homes, but despite remaining in power for four years, it could not deliver even a single home under that promise. One of its ministers eventually admitted that it had merely been a political slogan made before the elections.

The same people, during their tenure, continued to put up plaques on projects initiated by Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Today, Maryam Nawaz has made history. Following the international recognition of Apni Chhat Apna Ghar, the same political party has suddenly remembered its own housing programme. It is the height of political hypocrisy that those who could not establish such a programme on paper during their tenure are now attempting to claim credit for its success. However, the more than 200,000 families benefiting from the programme know the truth: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has helped them secure a roof over their heads. False propaganda can never conceal the truth. A political party whose leadership has made lies and propaganda its political trademark will inevitably find it difficult to accept facts and achievements.

Those who once preferred going to the IMF to what they described as “suicide” ultimately left Pakistan with debts amounting to Rs49 trillion, while leaving government after giving the people another unfulfilled promise in the name of the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme.

By contrast, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has, in just two years, delivered in Punjab on a scale for which there are few precedents in the province’s recent history. She has fulfilled not only the promises she made before the elections but has also undertaken initiatives that were not part of her original electoral commitments. When leaders are elected by the people, their foremost responsibility is to improve the lives of those who place their trust in them. The 140 million people of Punjab gave Maryam Nawaz a mandate, and she is fulfilling that responsibility with honesty and commitment. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has set a target of providing homes to 500,000 people within five years and is determined to complete this mission. For her government, good governance, merit and transparency are no longer merely slogans; they have become guiding principles of governance in Punjab. The global recognition of Apni Chhat Apna Ghar is therefore not simply an award. It is an acknowledgement of what becomes possible when public welfare, transparency, technology and political commitment come together to turn the dream of homeownership into reality for ordinary citizens.

Azma Zahid Bokhari is Punjab’s Minister for Information and Culture

Azma BokhariThe writer is the Minister for Information & Culture Punjab.

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