Check a Lahore Housing Scheme on LDA's Lists: 400 Approved, 383 Illegal

To check a Lahore housing scheme, open the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) website and search the Approved Schemes list and the Illegal Schemes list before you pay a rupee. On 14 October 2026 we found 400 entries on the approved list, 383 on the illegal list and 19 on the regular list. A name on the approved list is a start, not a guarantee.

These LDA approved housing schemes lists change, so a screenshot from last year proves little. Read the live page, then read the notes below on what each column means.

LDA keeps three separate lists for Lahore schemes

LDA publishes an approved list, an illegal list and a regular list on lda.gop.pk. Each answers a different question. Approved shows private schemes LDA has cleared at some stage. Illegal names schemes LDA says have no approval. Regular shows older schemes with maps.

The approved list carries the most detail: the scheme name, the mauza (the revenue village where the land sits), the approved area, the number of residential and commercial plots, the approval stage and the approval date. The illegal list is shorter. It gives a serial number, the scheme name, a location when LDA has one, a directorate and a zone.

The regular list has 19 schemes, for example Allama Iqbal Town, Gulshan-e-Ravi and Jubilee Town. Each row shows plot counts and a map file you can open. Most buyers will spend their time on the first two lists.

Search the approved list in five steps

Open the LDA Approved Schemes page, find the exact scheme name and phase, read the approval stage and date, then open the Illegal Schemes page and search the same name. A scheme that appears on both lists needs a written answer from LDA.

1. Open the Approved Schemes page on lda.gop.pk.
2. Use your browser's find box to search the scheme name. Try short forms, such as "Garden" or the owner's name, because spellings differ.
3. Match the phase, the mauza and the plot counts to your allotment letter, not just the name.
4. Read the approval stage and the approval date.
5. Open the Illegal Schemes page and search the same name and phase.

Spelling is the usual trap. The names are typed by hand. Some are in capitals, some carry a phase number and some do not. Search twice, with and without the phase.

The approval stage column uses about 40 different wordings

The approval stage is typed by hand, so the same stage appears in many forms. Plain "Approved" is the most common. Other rows say technically approved, finally approved or approved by the TMA, the tehsil municipal administration. Ask LDA what each wording allows.

We grouped all 400 rows by wording. Our count below is a reading of the text on the page, not an LDA figure.

The 44 "technically approved" rows deserve care. In private housing, technical approval is normally the first step and final approval comes after development conditions are met. LDA's page does not define the terms, so we cannot say whether plots may be sold at that stage. Four rows say in words that final approval is still pending. Get the answer in writing before you pay.

Check the illegal list even when the scheme is approved

An approved scheme can still have an illegal neighbour with a similar name. The illegal list has 383 entries. Search it for your scheme name, your phase and the owner's name, because developers often sell one phase before another is cleared.

The illegal list is sorted into five directorates, labelled DMP-I to DMP-V, and into zone numbers. DMP-IV holds the most entries, 202. Zone 14 alone has 135. LDA does not explain the labels on the page, so treat them as filing codes, not as a risk score.

Two scheme names appear on both the approved and the illegal list when we match them exactly. That may mean different phases, or it may mean a mistake in one list. Either way, do not buy on the strength of the approved entry alone. Some illegal rows show no location at all, which is why your plot file and the mauza matter more than the name.

Mortgaged plots show what LDA holds as security

The mortgaged plots column lists plots set aside while the developer finishes roads and services. The page says Executed on 77 rows and Not Executed on 72. LDA does not define the words, so ask whether your plot number is on the mortgaged list.

Many other rows list plot numbers by block instead, such as a range of plots in Block A. If your plot number sits inside one of those ranges, you are buying a plot that LDA is holding. Ask the sponsor for the release letter before you pay the balance or sign a transfer.

Read the approval date too. The oldest approvals go back to 1970 and 55 rows carry a date from 2022 to 2025. About 89 rows show no readable year. An old date is not a fault, but you may want the revised layout plan for any scheme that has added phases since.

LDA's lists do not check your plot file

The lists tell you the scheme's status. They do not tell you that the seller owns your plot, that your file is genuine or that the price is fair. For that you need the registry trail and the land record.

Run the title checks in the guide to verifying a property's title before you buy. If a scheme is on the illegal list and you have already paid, the steps for how to complain about a builder to RDA, LDA or CDA apply. For schemes across the province, the guide to checking a housing society in Punjab covers the other cities.

Common questions about LDA scheme lists

How many schemes are on the LDA approved list?

We counted 400 entries on 14 October 2026. The count can change when LDA adds or removes a row, so recount on the day you buy.

Is a scheme on the approved list safe to buy in?

Not automatically. The list shows an approval stage, not a clean title. You still need the plot file, the registry trail and the mortgaged plot check.

What if my scheme is on the illegal list?

Stop paying and ask the sponsor for the LDA approval letter. LDA lists it as having no approval, so a sale could leave you without roads, water or a registry.

What if I cannot find my scheme on any list?

Try other spellings and the phase name first. If it is still missing, ask LDA in writing whether the scheme has an application and in which office.

Does LDA cover every scheme in Lahore district?

No. The lists are LDA's own. Land outside its area may fall under another authority, so ask the sponsor which authority approved the layout.

What does technically approved mean?

LDA's page does not define it. In private housing it normally comes before final approval, so ask LDA what the scheme may do at that stage.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 14 October 2026. We read the LDA Approved Schemes, Illegal Schemes and Regular Schemes pages in full and counted the rows ourselves. The wording groups in the table are our reading. LDA does not define technical approval, executed mortgage or the DMP codes on those pages. Check the live pages before any payment.