Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 208 million people, is the world’s sixth most populous country. In recent years, it has achieved continued gross domestic product (GDP) growth—with an average annual growth rate of 4.9 percent from 1974 to 2019 and substantially reduced poverty. Growing fiscal and external imbalances may, however, erode these gains if not addressed. In an effort to address the growing inequality and further reduce poverty, the Government of Pakistan (GOP) has initiated a number of pro-poor programs, including the Naya Pakistan Housing Program (NPHP). Launched in April 2019, NPHP seeks to build 5 million low-cost housing units in urban areas across the country within a 5-year timeframe. The program will be implemented in partnership with private developers and banks, with the aim of strengthening the construction sector, creating jobs, and boosting economic growth.

Digital Land Records and Cadastral Maps for the land record management information system component would develop a seamless cadastral map and link to digital land records for the Province of Punjab based on existing revenue maps and orthorectified, high-resolution imagery. Land for Housing component would support the regularization of unregistered lands in notified informal settlements to provide secure rights for dwellers occupying plots in previously notified Katchi Abadis on state and public lands. Regularization of such rights would provide deeds to such occupants with full ownership rights considering women’s legal rights and methodologies that promote gender equity. Integrated Land Information System and Services. This component would establish a modern Land Information System, unifying and integrating rural and urban land records, aiming to implement parcel-based approaches. These activities would include the development of the next-generation Land Records Management Information System (LRMIS), development of Land Information Portal, strengthening the existing Data Center and its backup sites, equipping new and updating existing ARCs, and digitizing remaining deed records across Punjab Province.

The project management and policy development component would finance project management, coordination, and analytics for this multi-stakeholder investment led by PLRA. It would also support the development of policies, laws, regulations, and strategies as well as technical studies and experiments associated with the operationalization of unified land records and cadastral mapping systems in Punjab.