What happened
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a five-year, Rs3.2 trillion housing programme aimed at funding the construction of 500,000 homes nationwide, according to a report published on 1 May 2026.
Speaking at the launch ceremony of the Wazir-e-Azam Apna Ghar Programme, the prime minister said the initiative would help low-income citizens who lack the means to build their own houses and would act as an economic multiplier, boosting industrial growth and creating jobs ranging from manual labour to engineering.
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Housing and Works Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, other federal ministers, banking professionals, construction industry representatives and programme beneficiaries. The prime minister pushed a button to launch the scheme and distributed loan cheques sanctioned by different banks.
Why it matters
According to the prime minister, the programme is modelled on the Ashiana housing scheme he launched while chief minister of Punjab, and it is not confined to Islamabad: it will cover all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
For the first year, the government has set a target of funding 50,000 houses, with Rs321 billion earmarked. Over five years it plans to finance 500,000 housing units backed by Rs3.2 trillion.
The programme offers a 20-year repayment timeline with a 5 per cent markup for the first ten years, after which the market rate would apply. Loans of up to Rs10 million will be available on easy terms, and eligible applicants can build homes on land measuring up to 10 marlas.
The prime minister described the programme as a sacred obligation of any government and said he had decided to extend relief measures for vulnerable segments by one month.
What is still uncertain
The report did not set out the eligibility criteria in detail, the selection process for beneficiaries, or how the Rs3.2 trillion would be financed across the five years. It also did not specify how defaults on the 20-year loans would be handled or which banks would lead lending in each province.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 2026-05-01.
- Primary source — The Nation: “PM launches loan scheme for 500,000 homes in five years”1 May 2026 · Reports the launch of the Wazir-e-Azam Apna Ghar Programme, its budget, loan terms, coverage and first-year targets.
