MUSCAT (The Thursday Times) — Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award 2026 for the provincial government’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar housing programme at a World Habitat Day ceremony in Muscat, Oman.
The award was presented at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the chief minister attended as a special guest. The Scroll of Honour is among the highest honours associated with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and recognises initiatives aimed at improving housing and living conditions.
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz has received the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award for the "Apni Chhat Apna Ghar" housing programme, presented on World Habitat Day at a ceremony in Muscat, Oman. pic.twitter.com/J0wpNQhEVB
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Apni Chhat Apna Ghar provides low-income families with access to financing to build their own homes. According to Punjab’s housing department, as reported by The Nation, the programme offers interest-free loans of up to Rs1.5 million for home construction.
The Punjab government said the programme was selected following a competitive review of housing initiatives from around the world and was among five initiatives recognised this year. Projects from Myanmar, Brazil, Tunisia and England were also selected.
Maryam Nawaz dedicated the award to homeless people across Punjab.
“The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award is an honour for the homeless people of Punjab,” she said.
The chief minister described Apni Chhat Apna Ghar as “the best low-cost housing project not only in Pakistan, but in the whole world”.
The recognition gives international prominence to one of the Punjab government’s flagship housing initiatives, which seeks to expand access to affordable housing and help lower-income families build homes of their own.
