Punjab Journalists Housing Foundation an Autonomous Body, Clarifies Allotment PolicyPJHF providing quality residential facilities to journalists on no-profit, no-loss basis

By Dr. Ansab Ali
Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE — The Punjab Journalists Housing Foundation (PJHF) is an autonomous statutory body operating under the administrative control of the Punjab Information and Culture Department in accordance with the Rules of Business, Government of Punjab, 2011, officials said.
The Foundation was established under the Punjab Journalists Housing Foundation Act, 2004, with the mandate to provide quality residential facilities to members of the journalist community strictly on a no-profit, no-loss basis.
In line with its legal framework, PJHF has launched residential housing schemes in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan. Under the approved quota policy, residential plots were allotted to council members of recognised press clubs, journalists affiliated with electronic media, and employees of the Information and Culture Department. As part of its expansion, a new residential Block “F” was added to the Lahore Housing Scheme in 2018.
Continuing its development initiatives, PJHF, in collaboration with the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), proposed the launch of the PJHF Lahore Press Club Housing Scheme (Phase-II) during a meeting of the Board of Directors held on January 6, 2025. The proposal was unanimously approved by the Board. Under the project, RUDA will provide 250 acres of land to PJHF for the development of 3,200 residential plots, each measuring five marlas, in return for a payment of Rs. 400 million.
Officials further clarified that during the 13th meeting of the Board of Directors on October 18, 2025, applications from two senior journalists — Mr. Zaheeruddin Babar and Mr. Syed Aftab Ahmed — were considered, as they were unable to obtain possession of their originally allotted plots. After due deliberation, the Board approved the allotment of alternate plots strictly in accordance with the approved rules, regulations, and policy.
Following formal cancellation of their original allotment letters, new allotment letters for alternate plots were issued. Similarly, during the 12th meeting of the Board, applications from three other senior journalists — Mr. Ahmed Javed Farooqi, Mr. Muhammad Siddique Asghar, and Mr. Wasim Niaz — were reviewed and approved under the same legal and policy framework due to non-possession of their originally allotted plots.
The Foundation clarified that only these five senior journalists were allotted alternate plots during the 12th and 13th Board meetings. No other journalist received an alternate allotment during these sessions. In all cases, original allotment letters were formally withdrawn and cancelled prior to the issuance of alternate allotment letters, and all decisions were taken by the Board of Directors in strict compliance with the approved policy.
Under its governing framework, the Board of Directors retains the authority to allot alternate plots to any allottee unable to obtain possession of the originally allotted plot. The Board may also consider similar cases in the future, subject to applicable laws and policies.
Summary of Approved Alternate Allotments:
During the 12th and 13th Board meetings, alternate residential plots measuring 10 marlas each were allotted to five senior journalists against their cancelled original allotments. These include Mr. Zaheeruddin Babar and Mr. Syed Aftab Ahmed in Block E, Mr. Ahmed Javed Farooqi in Block D, and Mr. Muhammad Siddique Asghar and Mr. Wasim Niaz in Block A. All allotments were approved following due process and in full compliance with the legal and policy framework.