LAHORE: The Punjab government has approved the master plan for Phase II of the Journalists Housing Colony in Lahore, aiming to provide homes to 3,200 journalists. The decision was made during an important meeting of the Board of Governors of the Journalists Housing Foundation, chaired by Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari.
The meeting was attended by key officials, including Punjab Information Secretary Tahir Raza Hamdani, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari, MPA Bilal Yamin Satti, and representatives of the Punjab Journalists Foundation.
Secretary Information Tahir Raza Hamdani shared that the new housing colony will feature a school, commercial areas, parks, and roads ranging from 40 to 100 feet wide. He added that Rs400 million has already been paid to the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), and the land acquisition process is almost complete.
Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz, will personally distribute allotment letters to the journalists in February. She emphasized that the government is committed to providing journalists with their own homes and criticized those opposing the project for political reasons, calling them “black sheep” who misuse the future of journalists and their children for personal gains.
The minister also revealed that 1,400 journalists have already paid their advance development charges for Phase II, along with 635 employees of the Punjab Information Department. She urged other members to complete their payments soon, assuring that the balloting process for non-members will be conducted transparently.
Azma Bokhari stressed that the government will not be influenced by pressure groups or political mafias. She added that the housing schemes for journalists in Rawalpindi and Multan have been temporarily put on hold, pending further review of records from local press clubs.
The minister also announced that the Lahore Development Authority’s commercial plan has been adopted for the colony and directed all press clubs to hold their elections between December and January to ensure smooth implementation of the scheme.
