Housing societies resorting to misleading advertisements to face action

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has announced action against housing societies accused of running misleading advertisements in and around Islamabad.

The marketing intelligence unit of CCP has launched a formal inquiry after its Marketing Intelligence Unit collected data of advertisements and promotional material of several housing societies.

According to the spokesperson, legal proceedings would be initiated against those housing schemes found guilty of making false or misleading claims.

The commission has also appealed to the public to submit evidence and complaints to help curb such practices.

The spokesperson further stated that a number of societies have been misusing the name of Islamabad, while making false claims of affiliation with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and obtaining no-objection certificates (NOC).

The commission said that some advertisements contained forged images, videos and exaggerated claims of facilities, while even celebrities were used to promote misleading publicity.

It further revealed that in some cases, societies were charging extra fees under the pretext of development charges and promising unrealistic returns on incomplete projects.

The CCP made it clear that deceptive advertising is a violation of the Competition Act, carrying fines of up to Rs 75 million.

Read Also: Pakistan govt invites public feedback on National Housing Policy 2025

Earlier on August 2025, the federal government on Saturday invited citizens to share their opinions and feedback on the Draft National Housing Policy 2025, as part of a newly launched Digital Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) initiative.

The Ministry of Housing and Works has activated the consultation via the government’s dedicated digital platform, digitaldialogue.gov.pk, aiming to gather input from citizens and stakeholders across the country.

First introduced in March 2025, the draft policy outlines a people-centric, inclusive, and sustainable approach to housing. It prioritizes affordability, urban planning reforms, public-private partnerships, and climate-resilient development, addressing the needs of all segments of society.

With this digital initiative, the Ministry seeks to foster broad-based public participation to help shape a housing framework aligned with national aspirations.

To ensure transparency, accessibility, and effective stakeholder engagement, the Ministry has collaborated with the National Information Technology Board (NITB) to host the Public-Private Dialogue online.

Citizens, urban planning experts, developers, academia, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders are encouraged to review the draft and submit their feedback.