The federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, approved the National Housing Policy and the Pakistan Information Security Framework (PISF) 2026 on Tuesday.
The cabinet was informed that the housing policy had been drafted by a working group comprising national and international experts after consultations with federal and provincial governments and development partners. Its main objective is to provide sustainable, safe and quality housing to citizens.
The cabinet also directed that energy-efficiency standards be incorporated into the policy to ensure new construction meets environmentally friendly requirements.
Members were briefed on the government’s Apna Ghar scheme, under which banks have approved housing loans worth Rs220 billion, while more than Rs32bn has so far been disbursed to successful applicants.
In another decision, the cabinet approved the withdrawal of a notice terminating the 1981 bilateral investment treaty between Pakistan and Sweden.
The cabinet also approved PISF 2026, prepared under the CERT Rules 2023, to establish unified baseline information-security standards and strengthen central oversight of cybersecurity.
It further endorsed amendments to the Pakistan Oil Refining Policy 2023 aimed at upgrading oil refineries and improving the country’s energy security.
The cabinet also ratified decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee on July 27 and Aug 4, as well as those of the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases meeting held on July 24.
