Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities to further simplify procedures and accelerate loan approvals under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme, stressing that greater facilitation for applicants would help more citizens realise their dream of owning a home.

The prime minister, while chairing a review meeting on the progress of the housing initiative, said the strong public response to the scheme was highly encouraging and reflected the growing demand for affordable housing, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Shari said, “Participation of a large number of citizens in the Apna Ghar Scheme is extremely welcome. If we continue at the current pace, the dream of home ownership for a maximum number of deserving people will be fulfilled.”

The prime minister observed that the success of the scheme would not only improve access to housing but also stimulate growth in the construction sector, boost allied industries and contribute to overall economic expansion.

During the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif directed the Ministry of Housing to work with the State Bank of Pakistan to make the application form more user-friendly and easier for applicants to understand. He also instructed banks to expedite the approval process for valid applications and ensure the timely disbursement of loans.

Emphasising wider outreach, the prime minister ordered the authorities to intensify the nationwide awareness campaign so that more eligible citizens could benefit from the programme.

To address difficulties faced by applicants in obtaining land ownership documents, he directed provincial governments to establish facilitation desks at the district level dedicated to the Apna Ghar Scheme.

The meeting was informed that loans worth Rs11 billion had so far been disbursed under the programme. Officials said the number of applications had increased significantly after the government simplified the scheme’s rules and regulations in March this year.

According to the briefing, a total of 67,900 applications have been received from across the country. Of these, 16,587 applications have been approved, while 3,146 beneficiaries have already received loan payments.

Officials said efforts were underway to further speed up the provision of concessional housing finance through digital hubs, facilitation desks and other administrative measures.

The meeting was also told that the State Bank of Pakistan had made it mandatory for banks to process Apna Ghar Scheme applications within 15 days.

Participants were informed that Parliament had recently passed condominium and financial institution recovery laws, which are expected to remove legal impediments in the housing sector and encourage greater investment and development.

A dedicated digital portal has also been launched to monitor the implementation and progress of the scheme, the meeting was told.

The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal Cheema, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, presidents and chief executive officers of Pakistani banks, provincial chief secretaries and senior officials from relevant institutions.