CM Punjab invited to Muscat to receive ‘UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour’

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has been invited to Muscat to receive the prestigious UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award 2026 for the province’s Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar low-cost housing programme.

The chief minister will attend the award ceremony on the occasion of World Habitat Day, where the honour will be presented at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour is the highest international award associated with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. It recognises individuals, cities, governments and public institutions, civil society organisations, private organisations, research institutions and projects for contributions towards affordable and adequate housing, sustainable urban development, improved basic urban services, urban reconstruction and disaster recovery.

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Around 200 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour awards have been presented over the past 37 years. In Pakistan, the award was previously received by the deputy chairman of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) in 2007.

The Punjab government’s Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar project has been selected for the 2026 award. Myanmar, Brazil, Tunisia and London, England, have also been selected for the honour.

The chief minister has been specially invited to attend the ceremony in recognition of the housing programme. She dedicated the award to the homeless people of Punjab, describing it as an honour for them.

“The UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award is an honour for the homeless people of Punjab,” the chief minister said, adding that the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar programme was not only Pakistan’s but “the world’s best low-cost housing project.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026