Peshawar: For years, owning a home remained nothing more than a distant dream for thousands of low-income families, salaried employees and pensioners across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Rising inflation, soaring land prices and rapid population growth have pushed home ownership beyond the reach of ordinary citizens, forcing many families to spend decades paying rent with little hope of ever securing a roof of their own.
Today, however, that dream is beginning to look attainable courtesy to the landmark Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Program (Ghar Ho Tu Apna) that emerged as a beacon of hope for thousands of homeless and low-income families in the province, offering subsidized housing finance that promises dignity, security and a brighter future.
Housing experts believed the historic welfare initiative could transform the lives of countless families who have spent years struggling under the burden of rising houses rents and shrinking incomes amid inflation.
Crossing the psychological barrier of 241. 5 million, Pakistan’s rapid population growth exerted extraordinary pressure on housing infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone. The experts estimated that nearly 2. 5 million additional houses are urgently required to meet existing demand of the underprivileged.
For ordinary citizens in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, the housing crisis is more than just statistics rather it is a daily struggle. Every month, retired school teacher Riazul Haq anxiously waited for his pension, knowing that a large portion will disappear in rent before he can purchase groceries or medicines for his family.
“Every year my landlord increases the rent, but my pension hardly increases, ” he said while sitting in his modest rented house in Peshawar. “I spent my entire life serving the nation through education. My biggest wish now is to own a small house where my children and grandchildren can live with dignity and pride. ”
He said years of inflation, price rocketing and rapidly increasing property prices had made home ownership almost impossible for retired people in Khyber Pakthunkhwa. “When I heard about the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Program, it felt like someone had finally listened to the hardship and struggles of ordinary people. ” With visible emotion, he added, “A house is not just bricks and cement. It is peace of mind, security for children and respect for a family. ”
Across Peshawar, Mardan, Swat and Abbottabad, similar stories echoed from households burdened by expensive rents.
Nasir Ali, an employee of a public-sector corporation who has spent over 15 years living in rented accommodation in Hayatabad, Peshawar said the housing scheme has rekindled hope among thousands of middle-income families. “For the first time, we feel that owning a house is not impossible, ” he said.
“The application process for obtaining up to Rs 10 million loan for the PM’s housing program is very simple, the markup is affordable, and people from every walk of life are applying with great enthusiasm. ”
He believed the landmark programme will enable hardworking families to invest in their future instead of spending their lifetime earnings on rent for years. “Every parent dreams of leaving behind a home for their children. This programme gives us the confidence that this dream can become reality very soon. ”
Professor Dr. Naeemur Rehman Khattak, former Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar, described affordable housing as a basic human necessity rather than a luxury, urging the homeless to apply for PM’s Apna Ghar Program being a golden opportunity.
“A home provides much more than shelter, ” he said, adding it creates stability, improves educational outcomes for children, strengthens family life and contributes to better physical and mental health.
He explained that rapid urbanization, migration from rural areas and continuously increasing land prices had created an enormous housing backlog in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s major cities, regretting that PTI paid a deaf year to the emerging housing crisis.
According to him, Pakistan’s housing shortage reached nearly 10 million units, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone requires around 600, 000 new houses every year merely to meet fresh demand of the ever growing population. He projected that more than 1. 1 million housing units annually would be needed over the next fourteen years to eliminate the accumulated backlog in KP.
“Investment in affordable housing is actually an investment in social stability, economic growth and national prosperity, ‘ he said, adding short and long terms housing policies were required in Khyber Pakthunkhwa where major cities are expanding rapidly amid about two percent population growth per annum.
Agricultural land around Peshawar, Mardan, Abbottabad and Swat is increasingly being converted into residential colonies, reducing cultivable land and raising concerns over future food security. Experts warned that relocating people to distant urban outskirts without adequate planning often isolates families from schools, hospitals, workplaces and transport facilities, creating fresh social and economic challenges.
Political instability, changing government priorities and unchecked increases in property prices have further complicated the housing situation over the years. The experts said that the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Program seeks to address these longstanding challenges through subsidized housing finance, offering a golden opportunities to homeless to become master of their own houses.
Commercial banks, Islamic banks, microfinance banks and the House Building Finance Company Limited (HBFCL) started accepting applications through designated branches and digital platforms, attracting a large number of people.
According to State Bank of Pakistan officials, participating banks have already approved housing finance amounting to Rs204 billion, while Rs27 billion has been disbursed under the landmark programme.
The scheme offers financing for houses up to 10 marla and flats measuring 1, 500 square feet, with loans of up to Rs10 million. Borrowers pay a fixed markup of five percent, while the government provides a markup subsidy for the first 10 years. Loans are available for up to 20 years, with no processing charges or prepayment penalties.
Applicants contribute only 10 percent equity, while the government also provides risk-sharing support to participating financial institutions. Housing experts believed these incentives have significantly reduced financial barriers for first-time home buyers.
Former KP Minister Wajid Ali Khan described the PM Apana House Program as a lifeline for thousands of homeless families across the country. “There is no greater gift for a family than the keys to their own home, ” he remarked.
He said previous promises of mass housing had largely remained unrealized, leaving the province with a severe housing shortage. According to Provincial Housing Authority estimates, KP requires approximately 750, 000 additional houses, including more than 104, 000 homes in Peshawar, while districts like Mardan and Swat each require over 60, 000 housing units.
Officials of the Provincial Housing Authority (PHA) said several projects are currently under development. These include the Hangu Township project spread over 8, 400 kanal, Jalozai Phase-III in Nowshera, 900 residential apartments in Peshawar, a 20-storey residential tower in Nishtarabad comprising 300 affordable flats, and the Surizai Housing Scheme, where 8, 000 low-cost houses are planned in the first phase to arrest house backlog.
Experts believed such welfare initiatives, when combined with federal housing finance, can substantially reduce the province’s housing deficit over time.
For countless poor families, the dream of home ownership is no longer merely about acquiring property rather it is about reclaiming dignity, stability and hope.
As children grow up in rented homes with the constant fear of eviction and parents struggle to balance household expenses, the promise of owning a permanent home offers emotional security that cannot be measured in financial terms.
For thousands of deserving families across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Program represents far more than a housing finance scheme. It symbolizes hope replacing uncertainty, dignity replacing dependence, and the possibility that years of sacrifice may finally culminate in a place they can proudly call their own home.
