National Housing Policy 2025 offers roadmap for affordable, sustainable housing: PIDCL CEO

ISLAMABAD, Oct 07 (APP): Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL) Waseem Hayat Bhajwa has said that the National Housing Policy 2025 offers a comprehensive roadmap to address Pakistan’s growing housing needs through affordable financing, inclusive planning, sustainable construction and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Talking to APP, CEO PIDCL and Chairman of National Housing Policy Working Group said that the policy had been formulated after extensive consultations with federal and provincial institutions, academia, professionals, developers, financial institutions and development partners, with the objective of translating the national housing vision into practical action.

He said Pakistan’s first National Housing Policy was formulated in 2001, while significant demographic, urban and economic changes over the past 25 years had created the need for a revised national framework.

Waseem Bajwa said the policy review was initiated in January 2025 on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, at the initiative of Federal Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, and through the efforts of Federal Secretary for Housing and Works Capt. (Retd.) Muhammad Mahmood Rai. He said the review was completed in August 2026 following broad-based consultations and expert input.

He said the housing challenge was not limited to the shortage of housing units but also involved affordability, access to finance, availability of land, infrastructure, construction costs, informal settlements and climate resilience.

The policy, he said, therefore adopted a systems-based approach and was structured around nine strategic themes covering land and planning, housing finance, construction, informal settlements, affordable rental and rural housing, climate resilience, institutional arrangements and capacity building.

Highlighting housing finance as a key enabler, the CEO PIDCL said high financing costs, limited mortgage penetration, weak financing mechanisms, short-term lending tenures and land registration issues remained major barriers to affordable housing.

The policy proposes stronger housing finance institutions, affordable incremental housing loans, longer financing tenures and improved land information systems to make housing finance more accessible and predictable, he added.

Waseem Bajwa said particular emphasis had been placed on the housing needs of low-and middle-income groups in both urban and rural areas.

He said the concept of adequate housing extended beyond the physical structure to include suitable location, secure land, access to physical and social infrastructure, while sustainability encompassed energy efficiency and climate adaptation.

The CEO said international development partners, including UN-Habitat, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and JICA, had also contributed to the policy formulation process by sharing technical expertise and international experience.

He stressed that the success of the policy would ultimately depend on its effective implementation, noting that a comprehensive action plan had been developed to translate its strategic themes into specific activities, responsibilities, timelines, key performance indicators and expected outcomes.

He said coordinated efforts by federal and provincial institutions, local governments, the private sector, financial institutions, development partners and regulators would be essential for achieving the policy objectives.

He said the implementation of policy will be done through National housing Council and provincial housing forums. “We will also assist in preparing provincial housing policies in coordination with UN Habitat,” he added.

Waseem Bajwa expressed confidence that effective implementation of the National Housing Policy 2025 would help improve access to adequate, affordable, sustainable and climate-resilient housing for people across the country.