Apna Ghar Housing Loans Cross Rs104 Billion

The Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Programme has disbursed more than Rs100 billion in housing loans, marking a major milestone in the government’s low-cost housing drive. The Apna Ghar housing loans have reached Rs104 billion, paid out to 17,697 families across Pakistan as of 30 October 2026.

Khurram Schehzad, Advisor to the Finance Minister, shared the figures. He said loan disbursements had increased by 404 per cent since June 2026, when the total stood at Rs21 billion. ProPakistani reported the figures, and the Associated Press of Pakistan confirmed the same totals.

The programme has received 220,715 applications, of which 90,405 have been approved, an approval rate of 41 per cent. Approved loans are worth Rs533 billion, up from Rs144 billion in June, a rise of 269 per cent. Yet only 17,697 families have received money so far.

How Apna Ghar housing loans work

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the Apna Ghar Scheme in April this year as a nationwide drive to expand affordable housing finance for low and middle-income families. The government has backed it with an allocation of Rs3.2 trillion, and the five-year programme aims to finance the construction of 500,000 homes across Pakistan.

The scheme offers housing loans of up to Rs10 million, repayable over 20 years, with a fixed markup of 5 per cent for the first 10 years and market rates after that. Loans cover the purchase and construction of homes, and the scheme runs through commercial banks, Islamic banks, microfinance institutions, and the House Building Finance Company.

The design targets a plain problem. Pakistan faces a shortage of about 10 million homes, while annual demand runs at about 700,000 against supply of about 250,000.

The gap between approval and payment

The headline figure hides a harder story. Approvals have grown fast, but payments have lagged far behind. Of the Rs533 billion approved, only Rs104 billion has reached borrowers, less than one rupee in five, and most approved families are still waiting for their money.

The pattern was clear before this update. On 2 November, the prime minister was told that, as of 23 October, loans worth Rs511 billion had been approved across 86,899 applications, but only 15,584 applicants had received money, amounting to Rs91 billion. He directed the State Bank and the finance ministry to act against banks delaying loans to farmers, small businesses, and Apna Ghar home buyers.

Feature Pakistan reported that the prime minister warned slow banks over priority loans, including Apna Ghar. The warning followed the same gap: approvals moving fast, payments moving slow.

An analysis in late October made the same point, finding that only 18 per cent of approved subsidised financing had reached borrowers. The latest figures fit that pattern: approvals rose from Rs511 billion on 23 October to Rs533 billion on 30 October, and payments from Rs91 billion to Rs104 billion. The gap narrowed slightly, but it is still wide.

Why banks are slow to pay

Banks have their own reasons for caution. Housing loans run for 20 years, and a bank must be sure the borrower can pay over that time. Checks on income, property papers, and title take time, and many applicants lack the documents banks want.

Private banks have started to lend more. Feature Pakistan reported that the private sector turned net borrower at Rs87 billion, and that construction rebounded as housing loans picked up.

Punjab runs its own drive alongside the federal scheme. Its Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme has provided interest-free loans to more than 200,000 families, and Feature Pakistan reported that it will invite fresh housing loan applications.

What happens next

The programme will be judged on payments, not approvals. The 500,000-home target needs far more than 17,697 paid loans, and the pace must rise sharply. That claim will hold only if the money keeps flowing to families, not just to approval letters.

Frequently asked questions

How much has the Apna Ghar Programme disbursed?

Rs104 billion has been disbursed to 17,697 families as of 30 October 2026. Disbursements have risen by 404 per cent since June 2026, when the total was Rs21 billion.

How many applications have been approved?

The programme has received 220,715 applications, of which 90,405 have been approved, an approval rate of 41 per cent. Approved loans are worth Rs533 billion.

Why have so few approved families received money?

Only 17,697 of 90,405 approved applicants have been paid so far. Banks cite checks on income and property papers, and the prime minister has warned banks against delaying priority loans.

What are the terms of an Apna Ghar loan?

Loans of up to Rs10 million, repayable over 20 years, with a fixed markup of 5 per cent for the first 10 years. After that, market rates apply. Loans cover the purchase and construction of homes.

How does the scheme compare with Punjab’s Apni Chhat programme?

Punjab’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme offers interest-free loans and has reached more than 200,000 families. The federal Apna Ghar scheme offers subsidised loans through banks and targets 500,000 homes over five years.