Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the chief secretaries of the provinces to conduct a detailed assessment of properties that could qualify as collateral for loans under the PM’s Apna Ghar Scheme.
The directive came during a meeting to review progress on the Access to Finance Plan 2026-28. Shehbaz said expanding affordable housing opportunities for low- and middle-income families remained a key priority for the government.
Officials briefed the meeting that 147,504 people had submitted applications for the Apna Ghar Scheme so far, with 53,127 getting approval. The approved applications represent a combined financing value of Rs313.42 billion. Of this amount, Rs45.43 billion has already been released to 8,739 successful applicants.
The meeting was also told that authorities are developing a mechanism to locate plots nationwide that satisfy mortgage-related requirements. Islamabad has been selected as the pilot location for the system.
Officials said measures were also being prepared to bring established housing developers into the scheme in order to improve its implementation and make the process more efficient.
The PM called on banks and financial institutions to expand lending to key sectors, particularly agriculture, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and housing.
He said the government would support and encourage banks that take an active role in extending credit. Describing agriculture as a fundamental pillar of Pakistan’s economy, Shehbaz said promoting the sector was a national responsibility.
He also instructed authorities to ensure farmers could obtain financing easily and without unnecessary interruptions.
According to the briefing, banks had provided Rs1.268 trillion in financing to the agriculture sector by August 2026. Under the Access to Finance Plan 2026-28, the government has set a target of increasing agricultural lending to Rs2 trillion by June 2028.
The meeting was further informed that 35,838 applications had been submitted through the Zarkhez-e app to facilitate access to agricultural financing. Loans worth Rs7.35 billion had been approved, while Rs1.96 billion had been disbursed.
