Punjab Housing Minister Bilal Yaseen advocates high-rise growth at Alif Holdings’ Real Estate CEOs Conference

High-rise development framed as the essential path forward for Pakistan's evolving urban landscape

Alif Holdings convened Pakistan’s inaugural Real Estate CEOs Conference featuring a live industry podcast with a serving Provincial Housing Minister. The event brought together key policymakers, prominent developers, investors, and business leaders to discuss the strategic trajectory of the nation’s housing and real estate sector.

The conference featured Bilal Yaseen, Punjab's Provincial Minister for Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Engineering, in a live podcast session moderated by renowned journalist Mansoor Ali Khan. The event was attended by prominent television anchors Waseem Badami and Shahzad Iqbal, alongside senior real estate executives, developers, investors, and representatives from across the industry.

The deliberations centered on critical factors shaping Pakistan’s real estate landscape, notably housing policy, urban planning, regulatory frameworks, and investor confidence. Furthermore, key stakeholders highlighted the importance of vertical urban development and emphasised the necessity of robust public-private partnerships to effectively meet the nation's rising housing demand

Speaking during the session, Bilal Yaseen described high-rise development as an essential component of Pakistan's urban future, saying sustainable vertical growth would play a critical role in accommodating expanding populations while ensuring more efficient use of land and infrastructure.
 

Responding to a question from Ahmed Saljouk, CEO of Alif Holdings, Bilal Yaseen commented:

We encourage developers to embrace high-rise developments as the future of sustainable urban growth and a practical solution to addressing the housing needs of the middle-income segment.

Any developer committed to legal compliance, timely delivery, and quality construction will have the Punjab Government’s full support and facilitation. If assistance with any government authority is required, I am personally committed to helping remove hurdles and ensuring the necessary facilitation.

The minister also underscored the importance of continued engagement between government institutions and private developers, noting that effective policymaking and industry collaboration are essential to strengthening investor confidence and supporting sustainable growth in Pakistan's real estate sector.
 

Addressing the gathering, CEO of Alif Holdings, Ahmed Saljouk, said meaningful dialogue between policymakers and industry stakeholders is critical to the long-term development of the sector.

He further elaborated:

The real estate sector is a major contributor to Pakistan's economy, and its future depends on constructive engagement between the public and private sectors. Through this conference, our objective was to create a platform where industry leaders, policymakers, and the media could exchange ideas, address key challenges, and contribute towards practical solutions.

Alif Holdings will continue to organise such forums to encourage informed dialogue and support the sustainable growth of Pakistan's real estate industry.

Industry stakeholders commended the initiative, characterising it as a vital step toward bridging the gap between policymakers and the private sector. The conference concluded with a shared consensus regarding the necessity of policy continuity, regulatory transparency, and enhanced strategic alignment to foster sustainable urban growth and reinforce investor confidence across Pakistan's real estate market.