Independent research for Pakistan
Housing societies checked for approval, possession, prices and risks. Business registration, selling online, banking, investing, solar and travel explained step by step. Every fact sourced and dated.
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E-commerce & IT Export
How to earn money online in Pakistan: freelancing, selling on Daraz, Etsy or Amazon, YouTube, how you get paid, and the scam signs SECP and PTA warn about.
Loans & Home Finance
Benazir Income Support pays Rs 14,500 a quarter as of Oct 2026. Who qualifies, the PMT score, the 8171 SMS and web check, wallet payments and fake messages.
Building a House
Construction material prices in Pakistan, September 2026, from PBS: cement Rs 1,586 a bag and sarya Rs 2.31 lakh a tonne in Lahore, plus bricks, sand and wages.
Visas, Phones & Money
Visa free countries for Pakistani passport holders in 2026: 11 visa-free, 15 visa-on-arrival and 3 ETA destinations, plus Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives rules.
Costs & Payback
Solar panel price in Pakistan as of 9 Oct 2026: N-type panels cost about Rs 39 to Rs 46 per watt, and a 585 W panel about Rs 24,000 to Rs 25,750.
Buying Guides
How to buy a plot in Pakistan: check approval, verify the owner, pay tax and duty, register the deed. FBR 236K is 1.25% for filers, 10.5%+ if not.
Buying Guides
Mutation of property (intiqal) changes the owner's name in the land record. In Punjab PLRA charges Rs 1,200, or Rs 11,200 express, as of July 2026.
Risk & Legal
Property fraud Pakistan: NAB Rawalpindi reported about 91,000 plots and files oversold, and Punjab's 2025 ownership law is suspended by the LHC.
Buying Guides
Property transfer in Islamabad: the CDA Board cut its fee from 3% to 1% of FBR value on 9 April 2026. FBR tax is 1.25% (buyer) and 2.75% (seller) for filers.
Buying Guides
A sale deed in Pakistan must be registered if the property is worth Rs 100 or more, within 4 months of signing. Punjab: 1% stamp duty, 0.1% PLRA charge.
Buying Guides
Property verification online by CNIC: Sindh Zameen has a free search; Punjab, Islamabad and KP use a QR-coded fard. What needs a visit.
Risk & Legal
FDA approved societies in Faisalabad: the FDA's own register lists 197 approved, 229 under process and 367 illegal schemes (26 Oct 2026). How to check one.
Risk & Legal
Illegal housing societies in Karachi: SBCA's own list names 52 projects without a sale NOC, and Sindh audit flagged 58 schemes in July 2026. How to check one.
Approval status and our overall score for every society we've reviewed.
| Society | Status | Score |
|---|---|---|
| DHA Lahore | DHA approved | 7.4 |
| Valencia Town | LDA approved | 7.4 |
| Wapda Town Lahore | LDA approved | 7.2 |
| DHA 9 Town | DHA approved | 6.7 |
| DHA Phase 9 Prism | DHA approved | 6.5 |
| DHA Rahbar (Phase XI) | DHA approved | 6.4 |
| Central Park Housing Scheme | LDA: partly approved | 6.2 |
| Lake City Lahore | LDA: partly approved | 6.2 |
| LDA Avenue-I | LDA approved | 5.7 |
| Bahria Town Lahore | LDA: partly approved | 5.3 |
Society Reviews
DHA Islamabad review: a statutory authority under a federal Act, not a CDA or RDA scheme. Which phases have possession, DHA's own prices, DHA Valley. Oct 2026.
Society Reviews
WAPDA City Faisalabad review: approved on FDA's register, run by a WAPDA employees' cooperative. 5 marla plots average Rs 1.03 crore. Phase 2 risks. Oct 2026.
Society Reviews
DHA Bahawalpur review: a chapter of DHA Lahore, which sectors (A to N) have possession, 5 and 10 marla prices, development charges and transfer fees. Oct 2026.
Society Reviews
DHA Lahore review: it runs under its own law, so LDA approval doesn't apply. 5 marla plots average Rs 1.1 crore. Possession, utilities, risks. Oct 2026.
Compare
DHA Phase 9 Town is built, mostly 5 marla and about 40% dearer per 5 marla plot. Prism is mostly 1 kanal, on Ring Road, with possession rolling out. Oct 2026.
Compare
DHA Rahbar costs about 80% more than Bahria Orchard for 5 marla but has DHA's legal standing; only Orchard's Phase I is LDA approved. Oct 2026.
Compare
Lake City 5 marla plots now cost more than DHA Rahbar's after a 38% jump in a year. Rahbar has DHA's legal standing; Lake City is LDA approved. Oct 2026.
Compare
DHA Lahore costs about 40% more for the same plot but wins on legal status, location and resale. Bahria Town is cheaper with more risk. As of Oct 2026.
Investing
Tax on bank profit for tax year 2027: 20% for filers and 40% for non-filers on bank deposits, 15% and 30% on National Savings, from FBR's rate card and the law.
Investing
EOBI pension pays at least Rs 11,500 a month as of Oct 2026, with no rise in the 2026-27 budget. Who qualifies, the formula, the old-age grant and how to claim.
Investing
Pension calculator for Pakistan's federal employees: 70% of your last 24 months' average pay after 30 years, up to 35% commuted, and a 7% rise in 2026.
Investing
A pension fund in Pakistan (VPS) gives a tax credit on up to 20% of taxable income. How the credit works, returns to August 2026, fees and withdrawal rules.
E-commerce & IT Export
Best courier service in Pakistan for COD sellers: Pakistan Post's Rs 110 COD fee, Leopards' weekly payouts, PostEx, M&P, TCS and Trax, and the 4% tax.
E-commerce & IT Export
Data entry jobs in Pakistan: an online job that asks for a registration fee fits the scam pattern NCCIA, FIA and PTA describe. Where real work is found.
E-commerce & IT Export
How to earn money online in Pakistan: freelancing, selling on Daraz, Etsy or Amazon, YouTube, how you get paid, and the scam signs SECP and PTA warn about.
E-commerce & IT Export
Facebook monetization in Pakistan: Stars is open with 500 followers, but Content Monetization ads and Subscriptions aren't. Requirements, payouts and tax.
Buying Guides
How to buy a plot in Pakistan: check approval, verify the owner, pay tax and duty, register the deed. FBR 236K is 1.25% for filers, 10.5%+ if not.
Buying Guides
Mutation of property (intiqal) changes the owner's name in the land record. In Punjab PLRA charges Rs 1,200, or Rs 11,200 express, as of July 2026.
Buying Guides
Property transfer in Islamabad: the CDA Board cut its fee from 3% to 1% of FBR value on 9 April 2026. FBR tax is 1.25% (buyer) and 2.75% (seller) for filers.
Buying Guides
A sale deed in Pakistan must be registered if the property is worth Rs 100 or more, within 4 months of signing. Punjab: 1% stamp duty, 0.1% PLRA charge.
Risk & Legal
Property fraud Pakistan: NAB Rawalpindi reported about 91,000 plots and files oversold, and Punjab's 2025 ownership law is suspended by the LHC.
Risk & Legal
FDA approved societies in Faisalabad: the FDA's own register lists 197 approved, 229 under process and 367 illegal schemes (26 Oct 2026). How to check one.
Risk & Legal
Illegal housing societies in Karachi: SBCA's own list names 52 projects without a sale NOC, and Sindh audit flagged 58 schemes in July 2026. How to check one.
Risk & Legal
The illegal housing societies in Islamabad list: CDA names 98 schemes and RDA 610 in Rawalpindi (25 Oct 2026). How to search them and what illegal means.
Tax & Registration
Income tax return filing for 2026: file online on FBR's IRIS by 15 October 2026 (extended) with a wealth statement. Late penalties and the Rs 25,000 surcharge.
Tax & Registration
Income tax calculator for Pakistan 2026-27: salaried slabs run from 0% to 35% and business slabs from 0% to 45%. Full FBR tables, changes and worked examples.
Tax & Registration
Minimum wage in Pakistan 2026: Rs 40,700 a month in Islamabad and Rs 43,000 in Sindh from 1 July 2026. Punjab, KP and Balochistan rates and notices.
Tax & Registration
Salary increase 2026 in Pakistan: federal staff get 7% ad-hoc relief on new BPS-2026 pay scales from 1 July 2026, and pensions rise 7%. Chart and examples.
Company Setup
Chamber of commerce registration in Pakistan: ICCI charges Rs 10,350 (associate) or Rs 20,350 (corporate), KCCI Rs 12,000. Who needs it, documents, renewal.
Company Setup
Copyright registration in Pakistan costs Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 per work on Form-II at IPO's Copyright Office and takes about 11 months. Documents and steps.
Company Setup
Register a sole proprietorship in Pakistan with FBR, not SECP: add your business to your NTN on IRIS (Form 181), then open a business bank account. Full steps.
Company Setup
Patent registration in Pakistan: Rs 6,750 to file at IPO's Patent Office, about 18 months to the first exam report, 20 years of protection. Forms, fees, steps.
Import & Export
HS code Pakistan: FBR's Pakistan Customs Tariff 2026-27 PDF lists the 8-digit PCT codes and customs duty. Where to download it and how to find your code.
Import & Export
How to import from China to Pakistan in 2026: PSW and NTN, paying the supplier, sea or Khunjerab road, FTA duty cuts and the certificate of origin you need.
Import & Export
Used excavator price in Pakistan: OLX asking prices in Oct 2026, what to inspect, the customs GD and Excise papers to ask for, and leasing options.
Import & Export
Car import to Pakistan in 2026: personal baggage is gone, gift and transfer of residence remain. Who qualifies, the 3-year age limit, 850-day rule and duty.
Credit Cards & Insurance
Car insurance in Pakistan: third-party cover is the legal minimum; comprehensive costs about 1.25% to 2% of the car's value a year. Rates, takaful and claims.
Credit Cards & Insurance
Health insurance in Pakistan: what the Sehat Card covers in each province in 2026, what it skips, and private plans from Rs 2.25 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Credit Cards & Insurance
JS Bank credit card fees for July–December 2026: Classic to Signature annual fees, the first-month fee cut, 49.99% markup, limits and installment plan rates.
Credit Cards & Insurance
The Sehat Card in 2026: Punjab covers Rs 4 lakh a family at private hospitals only, KP up to Rs 10 lakh. How to check by SMS to 8500 and what's covered.
Costs & Payback
Electricity unit price in Pakistan as of October 2026: Rs 10.54 to Rs 47.20 a unit by slab, protected vs unprotected, fixed charges, fuel adjustments and taxes.
Costs & Payback
Inverter AC electricity consumption: units per hour for 1, 1.5 and 2 ton from NEECA's label formula, and what it adds to your bill at NEPRA slab rates.
Costs & Payback
What size solar system do you need? Divide your yearly units by what 1 kW makes in your city: Lahore 4.0 and Karachi 4.65 units per kW a day. Worked example.
Costs & Payback
CM Punjab solar scheme: free 550 W or 1,100 W systems for homes using up to 200 units, by ballot. Registration closed Jan 2025; reports say it runs to Dec 2026.
Panels, Inverters & Batteries
Solar geyser vs gas, LPG and electric geysers in Pakistan, as of October 2026: monthly running cost from OGRA and NEPRA rates, prices, and which type to buy.
Panels, Inverters & Batteries
Solar AC or a normal inverter AC on rooftop solar? Haier's hybrid specs, prices as of October 2026, how many panels a 1.5 ton AC needs, and which to buy.
Panels, Inverters & Batteries
The best inverter depends on type: on-grid, hybrid or off-grid. How Huawei, Growatt, Solis, GoodWe, Inverex, Knox and Fronus compare on warranty and price.
Panels, Inverters & Batteries
The best solar panels in Pakistan? LONGi, Jinko, Trina, JA Solar, Canadian Solar and Astronergy compared on efficiency, heat loss, degradation and warranty.
Net Metering
The net metering process: apply on PITC's portal (nmp.pitc.com.pk) or with K-Electric. Steps, documents, fees and the DISCO deadlines (about 56 working days).
Net Metering
Net metering closed to new users on 9 Feb 2026. New solar gets net billing at about Rs 10 to 11 a unit on 5-year contracts; old contracts keep their terms.
Where to Go
Malam Jabba in Swat, October 2026: when it snows, the road from Islamabad and Mingora, chairlift and entry fees, where to stay, and flood and safety advice.
Where to Go
Kalam, Malam Jabba and Mahodand in Swat, or Naran, Saiful Muluk and Babusar in Kaghan? Roads, seasons, family tips and advisories, as of October 2026.
Where to Go
Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir as of October 2026: the road from Muzaffarabad to Kel and Taobutt, when to go, LoC safety and permits for foreigners.
Where to Go
Best time to visit northern Pakistan, month by month: when Babusar Top, Khunjerab, Deosai and Shandur open, and monsoon risks, as of October 2026.
Visas, Phones & Money
The best SIM in Pakistan for visitors, as of October 2026: PTA's network survey results, passport and visa rules, SIM and data prices, and phone registration.
Visas, Phones & Money
Hajj 2027 from Pakistan: government scheme Rs 12-13 lakh, private packages Rs 14-37.5 lakh, the payment deadlines and how to register and apply online.
Visas, Phones & Money
International driving license in Pakistan, Oct 2026: Punjab fees from Rs 930, documents, where Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh issue it, and the 1968 convention.
Visas, Phones & Money
M-Tag as of October 2026: where it is required, documents, cost, how to recharge now cash top-ups have ended, and the suspended 50% extra toll.
Tools
Check if a housing society is approved or illegal: one search across LDA, RDA and CDA's own approved and illegal lists, 1,658 schemes as of 14 October 2026.
Tools
Marla to square feet: 1 marla is 225 sq ft in Lahore district and 272 sq ft in the rest of Punjab. Convert marla and kanal to sq ft, sq yards and sq metres.
