Muscat: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz received the UN Habitat Scroll of Honour Award on Monday for the province’s Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar programme, which supports access to affordable housing.
The ceremony took place at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Muscat as part of World Habitat Day. Maryam received the award on behalf of the housing initiative.
UN Habitat is the UN agency responsible for human settlements, including housing and sustainable urban development. Its Scroll of Honour, established in 1989, recognises contributions to improving living conditions, housing and related services.
Maryam dedicated the recognition to people without homes in Punjab, describing it as an honour for them.
The programme was selected for its contribution to expanding access to safe and affordable housing for households with limited incomes. The award recognises the initiative rather than constituting a new UN funding agreement.
Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar aims to help eligible Punjab residents build or acquire homes. Under its construction loan eligibility criteria, applicants must own and possess a plot measuring up to five marlas in urban areas or ten marlas in rural areas, where they intend to build their house.
This distinction matters because the construction component assists eligible landowners who need financial support to build, rather than providing a completed house to every applicant.
According to provincial figures reported in September, approximately 200000 applicants had received loans under the programme. These figures refer to financing provided and should not be read as a count of completed homes.
The Muscat ceremony places Punjab’s housing initiative within a wider international discussion about making adequate homes accessible to families facing financial barriers.
