Maryam Nawaz Receives UN-Habitat Award for Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Project

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz received the 2026 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honor Award in Muscat for the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar housing program, which provides interest-free loans to eligible low-income families to build homes.

Maryam Nawaz received the award at the World Habitat Day ceremony held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 5. She attended the event as a special guest and dedicated the honor to families who have built homes through the program.

UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach presented the award at the ceremony.

Pakistan Among Five Award Winners

UN-Habitat selected five winners for the 2026 Scroll of Honor Award from 101 nominations. The winners came from Pakistan, Brazil, Myanmar, Tunisia and the United Kingdom.

For Pakistan, the award formally recognized the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency for expanding access to safe and affordable housing for low-income households. The agency executes the Punjab government’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme.

The other winners were:

• Housing NOW from Myanmar
• Abdelmalek Ghannem from Tunisia
• Aldeia do Espraiado – Tekoa Ara Hovy from Brazil
• London Mayor Sadiq Khan

Programme Offers Interest-Free Housing Loans

The Apni Chhat Apna Ghar program was launched in 2024. It aims to provide 100,000 affordable houses or apartments across Punjab within four and a half years.

Eligible families who own small plots can receive interest-free loans to construct their homes. The Bank of Punjab and partner microfinance institutions release funds in stages as construction progresses.

Maryam said the award belongs to the families who have turned their housing plans into homes through the program. UN-Habitat said the initiative combines interest-free finance, digital systems and lending partnerships to expand access to housing finance.